Are you writing a book? Considering self-publishing? Here is Part 2 of some web resources that will help in all aspects of writing—from the first draft through marketing. Part 3 coming next week.
These links are categorized by topic in alphabetical order. NOTE: as of October 2015 all are active. No evaluation or approval is implied by the listing; you must evaluate the merits of any site you check on the list. On just a few listings there will be some pros or cons. Some items on this list contain lists of their own—links to other sites with more links. So there is a great deal of information to be gleaned here, some better than others. This is just a small sample of what’s available, but it’s a start. To update that old biblical quote—search the web and you shall find [some good stuff and some junk].
Book design/production
- Barcode Graphics—company will create barcodes for print books
- E-book formatting explained—simplifies the mystifying process
- How To Make a Free 3D Cover Image of Your Book (David Henderson has lots of tips on free and low cost techniques for book design, promotion, etc. while also offering paid services)
- Michelle Rene Goodhew—paid cover design and other assistance (see above)
- Vedic Design—paid cover design, etc.
- Updating your eBook after publication—YES, you can do that and may need/want to this tells you how
General self-publishing tips and resources
- Aaron Shepard’s Publishing Page—a little different; you may find it useful or not
- Getting your book translated for global reach
- Independent Publisher—has a monthly webzine, annual IPPY awards, reviews and more
- Midwest Book Review—major player
- Money, Writing and Life with Jane Friedman on the Creative Penn site
- POD database—free from author/designer Dehanna Bailee; may not be 100% up to date
- SELF-e—get your book into libraries; a BIG deal
Reviews of your book
- Author/Publisher Information (Get a Book Reviewed)—Midwest Book Review (see above)
- How to get reviews for your book—from Your Writer Platform, with links
- How to get Amazon’s top reviewers to review your book–from a writer
- Indie Book Reviewer—links to bloggers who review books, organized by genre
- Indie Author’s Guide to Paid Reviews, The—from Publishers Weekly (think long and hard before paying for a review)
- Indie Reviewers List, The—from the Indie View, with hyperlinks to reviewers in a table format
- Kirkus Reviews—expensive for and not up to par with the free reviews for traditional publishers; do a web search for authors’ bad experiences with them
- Prestigious Reviews and How to Get Them—don’t hold your breath or spend big bucks for a self-published book (especially an eBook) except possibly if you have your own company
- Reviews Readers will Pay Attention to and How to Get Them—from Sandy Appleyard
Excerpted from Part 4 of Becoming a Writer, a series published in the Eagle Peak Quarterly.
Good resource, John. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! Cute picture too.
Thanks for sharing this John. PS stay tuned next week to an important Google post on copyright. Oh, and loving your book! 🙂
Thanks!
These are all good resources! And it’s great that you pointed out that getting reviews is a major piece to the puzzle, especially if you’re an author that’s still trying to make a name for yourself. Getting quality book reviews should be a big piece of your marketing strategy.
Thanks, Kristen! For my long-awaited (by me, LOL) next book the marketing will be the thing–especially reviews.