Are you fond of reading self publishing blogs? If not, then now is the time for you to check out these best self publishing blogs.
One of my absolute favorite ways of learning more about self-publishing and making sure that I'm on track is to follow the best blogs on the market. The thing is that all these blogs are free. So, you don't have to pay anything to get all of the strategies.
You don’t have to pay to get the nuggets and all of the stuff that goes into making blogs so effective. That is exactly why today, we are going to talk about the best self publishing blogs. So, what exactly are the best self publishing blogs for authors?
Well, I'm going to go through several blogs. Some of them are more detailed than others. Some of them I follow very closely for many years and some are a little bit newer for me.
1. Self Publishing Made Easy Now
So, the first one I would highly recommend is the Self-Publishing Made Easy Now blog. A lot of the content that I produce, I also put content directly on my blog. Where I go through the very concepts that we discuss on my YouTube channel or podcast or however you happen to be viewing it.
I would recommend checking it out. I explore the absolute best strategies for getting your book formatted and selling. We go through all of the tools that are necessary to do this.
I even work together with many clients to help you get your book onto the market. Figure out why exactly it is or isn't selling and how to boost the sales that you're getting. So, that would be the first recommendation for the Self-Publishing Made Easy Now Blog.
About Self Publishing Made Easy Now
Founder / Owner - Chris Baird
Founded - 2015
Location - Norway
Contact - chris@selfpublishingmadeeasynow.com
Website - https://selfpublishingmadeeasynow.com/
2. Lulu Blog
The second blog I'm going to recommend is the Lulu Blog. You know, for many years, I've been supporting Lulu with hardcover books. Getting my hardcover books onto Lulu and then moving them through there.
The other thing is that Lulu provides a blog that goes through a lot of the strategies. A blog that goes through a lot of challenges that you are going to face as an author. As self-published authors when moving through the process.
When you first come in contact with all of the 1000 strategies available, it can be quite confusing. Lulu Self Publishing Blog will help sort that out for you. Their article helps authors to know How to Market a Self Published Book, How to format and much more.
About Lulu Self Publishing
Founder / Owner -
Founded - 2002
Location - United States
Contact - pr@lulu.com
Website - www.lulu.com
3. IngramSpark Blog
The next one is the IngramSpark Self Publishing Blog. I'm telling you, of all places to sell your book, I always say IngramSpark after Amazon (One of the Cheapest Self Publishing) is by far my favorite pick of locations. I don't know what the deal is but they sell a lot of books so it is definitely worth your time.
Their blog goes through a lot of the key strategies that they are using. They recommend it to authors because the more copies you sell, the more money they make as well. So, it is in their interest to share those very same strategies with you.
About IngramSpark Self Publishing
Founder / Owner - E. Bronson Ingram II
Founded - 2013
Location - La Vergne, Tennessee, United States
Contact - 855-997-7275
Website - www.ingramspark.com
4. Writer's Digest
The next one is the Writer's Digest. Now, this is one that I have not explored as fully as the other ones. But I can see that it goes into a lot of the writing practice as well.
Showing you exactly what types of writing you should do. To create books that your readers are going to love.
About Writer's Digest
Founder / Owner - Ericka McIntyre
Founded - 1920
Location - Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact - wdsubmissions@aimmedia.com
Website - www.writersdigest.com
5. Book Baby Blog
After this comes Book Baby Blog. Now, many people know Book Baby Blog based on the promotions that they do. I think I had at least one of my books a while back that was through one of the promotions on Book Baby Blog.
So, this is a good place to go. They know how to get readers to click on your titles. They go through thousands and hundreds of thousands of books to find the absolute best books that are going to result in the maximum number of sales.
Check out this related article: Self-Publishing: What It's Like?
Because when they do that, they ensure that you win as well. So, it is in their interest to stay on top of all the latest strategies and what are the benefits of Self Publishing. What better place than their blog to find out more about that?
About Book Baby Blog
Founder / Owner - Steven Spatz
Founded - 2010
Location - Pennsauken, New Jersey
Contact - info@bookbaby.com
Website - www.bookbaby.com
6. Kristen Lamb
Then, comes Kristen Lamb and I would recommend her blog. She goes through more of her side, her story as an author. As well as a best-selling author in terms of several things. And also the strategies that she is continually finding out.
One thing in common with all of these blogs is that they share some of the same tips but from different angles. Sometimes, it resonates with us. Sometimes, we have to hear the same thing over and over about 8 to 10 times before we go: you know what, maybe I should put this in action.
About Kristen Lamb Blog
Founder / Owner - Kristen Lamb
Founded - 2006
Location - Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
Contact - None
Website - www.authorkristenlamb.com
7. Mark Coker – Smashwords
That's the reason why we have so many self publishing blogs. We want to discuss number 7, which would be the Mark Coker - Smashwords Blog. Now, Smashwords has been purchased by Draft2Digital.
This is a really helpful self publishing blog as well in terms of exploring a lot of the themes. As well as challenges that authors face regularly as self-published authors.
About Mark Coker – Smashwords
Founder / Owner - Mark Coker
Founded - 2007
Location - Los Gatos, California
Contact - support@smashwords.com
Website - www.smashwords.com
8. Jane Freidman
The next one is the number 8 which would be the Jane Freidman Blog. It is also dealing with an author, putting out all the best tips and tricks when it comes to self-publishing and specific strategies. Also, in terms of the craft itself, of the writing side of things.
About Jane Freidman Blog
Founder / Owner - Jane Freidman
Founded - 2014
Location - Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Contact - www.janefriedman.com/contact
Website - www.janefriedman.com
9. David Gaughran
Then comes David Gaughran. I meant to say this is one that I only recently discovered. But I found his advice to be incredibly helpful in the self-publishing area. As he was going through a whole series of different dimensions to it.
I think recently, one of the ones was looking at some of the tools of ChatGPT OpenAI and the nature of this. How powerful these things are when you're learning self-publishing.
About David Gaughran Blog
Founder / Owner - David Gaughran
Founded - 2011
Location - Ireland
Contact - www.davidgaughran.com/contactfaq/
Website - www.davidgaughran.com
10. The Creative Penn
The next one is one that I know well which is number 10, The Creative Penn. I have been following her podcast and many other things about Joanne Penn's writings. Seeing exactly what she is up to, a very helpful material.
She also mentions a lot of the other blogs that I mentioned. They go through and discuss but everybody has a different take and she's one that I trust. I've corresponded a little bit on Twitter with her as well in the past several years.
So, I think it's definitely worth a check. Maybe one of my upper recommendations of the entire list.
About The Creative Penn
Founder / Owner - Joanna Penn Founder
Founded - 2009
Location - Bath, England, United Kingdom
Contact - www.thecreativepenn.com/contact
Website - www.thecreativepenn.com
11. Prowritingaid
Then comes number 11, Prowritingaid. It is something that I also have a lifetime membership to. It's a tool that I recommend of the other ones below it more so. But it is a tool that will identify all sorts of structural issues that you may be having with your book.
You put it into this tool and it just rips it apart. It's able to find lots of things that you could change or at least consider changing like your sentences that are too long or difficult to read. Or you're repeating the same words and phrases too many times.
It looks for using passive voice, all of these sorts of things. It's able to go in there and highlight every one of those. Then, you can go through it and see what issues should be fixed when it comes to your writing.
Make sure that it fits together and flows smoothly when you're working it through. That is Prowritingaid and they have a Blog that also goes through a lot of the same concepts that you explore there.
About Prowritingaid
Founder / Owner - Chris Banks
Founded - 2012
Location - United Kingdom
Contact - www.prowritingaid.com/en/Home/Contact
Website - www.prowritingaid.com
12. Kindleprenuer
Then, comes another favorite of mine which would be Kindlepreneur. Over the years, I use all the tools that Kindlepreneur recommends. I've gone through a lot of the different things that he has.
He has a pile of free self publishing courses showing you how to do ads and all sorts of other resources that are very powerful. But he also just goes through the challenges and struggles of being a self-published author.
As well as what it takes to succeed. He looks very much at the data side of things. I find that aspect to be incredibly helpful.
About Kindleprenuer
Founder / Owner - Dave Chesson
Founded - 2015
Location - Franklin, Tennessee, United States
Contact - dave@kindlepreneur.com
Website - www.kindlepreneur.com
13. Grammarly
Then comes to my favorite tool Grammarly in terms of taking your book and finding all sorts of issues and mistakes that you've been making in your book. Then, making it so easy to fix those exact issues.
Grammarly is a fantastic tool. It's one that I also recommend, and it is one I highly recommend. If you are not using it, at least test it out. It is just that powerful of a tool.
They have a blog that also discusses a lot of the different aspects when it comes to how we make sure that our manuscripts are as good as possible. A lot of the different things that it's checking for.
Fixing both the free version and their premium paid version for Grammarly. You will find that it will find all sorts of mistakes. I rarely disagree with what Grammarly suggests.
By the end of going through large documents and fixing things, whether short stories or poems or long novels, you will find that Grammarly is going to make your writings pro. It fixes everything, it's a fantastic tool.
I can't recommend them more of the many tools that I regularly recommend. Grammarly is definitely worth a check if you have not already done it. Also, it works together with Google Documents and their blog goes into a lot of this material.
About Grammarly
Founder / Owner - lex Shevchenko, Max Lytvyn, and Dmytro Lider
Founded - 2009
Location - San Francisco, California, United States
Contact - partners@grammarly.com
Website - www.grammarly.com
14. Alliance of Independent Authors (Alli)
Moving on to number 14, the Alliance of Independent Authors Blog or Alli. It’s for some reason that I recommend them. One is they are always on top of the latest strategies.
They are the first people who are out on this one and their interest is advocating for exact writers like yourself. I am not only a beginner level but a level two member of Alli. I can tell you one thing that I love about them, it is that they have a deal with IngramSpark as we mentioned earlier.
But with Alli, you get to sew so many free promo codes a month that you can use on your books on IngramSpark. Amazing deal on its own, right? That alone is worth the price of the membership that you get with them.
But in addition, they have a whole pile of services. All sorts of deals, offers, courses, and things like that are in their blog. It goes through the absolute best strategies as we're exploring this together.
Keep in mind with self-publishing, this is not something that is the same today as it was 5 years ago. It's almost a hundred years in self-publishing time. That's one of the reasons why you want to consider reading the Alliance of Independent Authors Blog you'll find on the internet.
About Alliance of Independent Authors
Founder / Owner - Orna Ross
Founded - 2012
Location - London, United Kingdom
Contact - info@allianceindependentauthors.org
Website - www.allianceindependentauthors.org
15. The Passive Voice
Moving on to number 15, that is The Passive Voice. This one is probably cited more often by all of the other blogs that I mentioned above than anything else I've ever heard. I've been following them for quite some time.
Listening to all of the latest and greatest things going on in the publishing and self-publishing world. You will find them coming through The Passive Voice particularly right now the earthquake that ChatGPT and AI are having on the self-publishing and Publishing community is so massive.
Check out this related article: Self-Publishing - An Introduction
The Passive Voice is a fantastic place for finding the absolute cutting news of what's happening. Like they're charging, it's going to be charging soon. For example, it's one of their absolute latest blogs, really really high-quality material.
The Passive Voice is probably the most mentioned of all of the self publishing blogs that I mentioned here. So, you definitely should check them out.
About The Passive Voice
Founder / Owner - Passive Guy
Founded - None
Location - None
Contact - www.thepassivevoice.com/contact
Website - www.thepassivevoice.com
Conclusion
But one of the things you'll see with all of these 15 different blogs that I mentioned, in conclusion, it's that each of these blogs has things that it brings to the table. You should use something like Feedly. It is what I use.
I pull all these best self publishing blogs into a single location so that I can follow along and see what exactly is happening in the self-publishing world. This is not something where you just learn a few skills and then you're good to go.
No! If you wish to make sales, you're going to need to expose yourself to the fire hose that these blogs produce. In terms of strategies and in terms of tips on writing itself. As well as the art and the covers, you have the creative side.
Then, we also have the digital, the data side, the ads, the revenue, and the financial side. Setting up your business around this. As you see, the sales start coming in. How to find and hire new people to work for you?
So that you can produce more books using the very strategies that I discuss here and that you find in the blogs that are mentioned above. So, if you put all of this together, you're going to find a really powerful combination.
So, I would suggest at least subscribing to a few of them. Self-Publishing Made Easy Now Blog, of course, I'd have to recommend that. The thing I want to know from you is, what blogs are you currently reading? Let me know below in the comments and check out my other blogs and videos for more answers to your self-publishing questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Self publishing blogs offers information, tips, and advice for aspiring authors who want to self publish their books. These blogs cover a wide range of topics, including writing, editing, formatting, marketing, and distribution, Which is really helpful for beginners as well as professionals
Self publishing blogs can be a valuable resource for Self Publishers and also authors who are new to self publishing or who want to improve their skills. These blogs offer insights, Trends and advice from experts in the Self Publishing industry, as well as tips and best practices for self-publishing success.
There are many great self-publishing blogs out there. Here are a few of the best self-publishing blogs list: Self Publishing Made Easy Now, The Creative Penn, The Book Designer, Jane Friedman, and Reedsy. Each blog offers unique perspectives, Tips, experiences, and valuable insights for self-published authors.
You can find self-publishing blogs by researching them online or asking for recommendations from other experienced authors or writing forums. You can also check the websites of top self-publishing companies or bookstores with more free resources for self-publishers.
Some self-publishing blogs accept guest posts from authors or writing experts. However, you should check each blog's submission guidelines before submitting your writing. Some blogs may have specific requirements or restrictions for guest posts.
Most self-publishing blogs are free to read. However, some blogs may offer premium content or courses for a fee.
The frequency of updates can vary depending on the blog. Some blogs may post new content daily, while others may only post once or twice a week. You can usually subscribe to a blog's email list or RSS feed to receive notifications of new posts.
Self-publishing blogs can offer valuable tips and strategies for marketing and promoting your book, which can help you reach a wider audience and sell more copies. However, success in self-publishing also depends on many other factors, such as the quality of your book, your target audience, and your marketing efforts.
Yes, self-publishing blogs often offer tips and advice for improving your writing skills, such as how to create compelling characters, craft engaging dialogue, and structure your story effectively. Some blogs also offer writing prompts and exercises to help you practice and develop your skills.
No, self-publishing blogs cover a wide range of writing genres and styles, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and poetry. Some blogs may focus on specific genres or niches, while others offer advice and tips for all types of writing.