The internet is swarming with writing and publishing blogs. Which ones are worth reading?
I dip into lots of blogs, and get inspiring and useful insights every day, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with the list of my 50 favourites! So I had a little think and came up with this Sampler of just four blogs, to help you get started on the self-publishing path.
Note: I first wrote this blog post in 2013, and am updating it in 2022. Things have changed quite a bit over 9 years, as have my recommendations… except for this first one, who remains top of the list!
1. Joanna Penn, thecreativepenn.com
Joanna Penn is an Englishwoman who lived in Australia for a while, and that’s where I attended one of her workshops on social media in 2011. (If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, jump at it.)
- Successful self-publisher of both fiction (novels) and non-fiction, who has learned on-the-job. She started self-publishing before ebooks and print-on-demand revolutionised the industry, so she has a useful before-and-after perspective.
- As JF Penn, she has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of her thrillers. Lots of traditionally published authors can only dream of that many sales. She publishes non-fiction as Joanna Penn.
- Her success is meaningful for the rest of us, because it has been achieved by working hard and smart over a period of time, analysing and adjusting and working some more. It’s NOT one of those cases where someone sells a million copies because of freakish coincidences. Her success is repeatable by ordinary mortals.
- She is courageously and generously transparent about the ups and downs of the writing and publishing life. She even shares her sales figures.
Things to look for on this blog:
- My favourites are Joanna’s articles on book marketing, where she draws on her own experience and the experiences of other indie authors. As a start, go to this page of her top marketing posts.
- Extensive use of video and podcasts, for those who’d rather watch or listen than read, and tips for how to start using those technologies yourself.
- Masses of free resources, as well as some great online (paid) courses, if you want to go a bit deeper on certain topics. Wisely, she even has a “Start Here” page to help you find your way through the hundreds (thousands?) of articles.
This website is an encyclopedia of self-publishing. Use it as a library.
2. Anne R. Allen and Ruth Harris, annerallen.com
Anne R. Allen and Ruth Harris are US publishing industry veterans with a wealth of knowledge, and they also often host high quality guest posts from various other writers, editors and publishing industry professionals.
They are generous and straightforward with their knowledge, including being honest about all sorts of mistakes that they have stumbled into and then overcome.
They are actually from the traditional publishing industry, but so many of the posts are filled with excellent tips and ideas for self-publishers, which is why they make this list.
Great content on:
- How to write a book in the first place, including evading the many so-called “writing rules” that are always flying around the internet.
- What to do with that manuscript once you’ve written it.
- Exploring new ideas for book marketing, as well as plenty of alerts about hazards and scams to avoid.
Anne has quite a dry sense of humour which I always enjoy.
Posts appear weekly, and this blog is well worth subscribing to. Pretty much everything I read from Anne and Ruth is worth the time.
3. The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), selfpublishingadvice.org
ALLi has become a very useful place to get ideas and advice. It is a member organisation with paid subscriptions, but lots of the information is available publicly for free. ALLi was founded in the UK and has a global membership.
These are my favourite parts of this website:
- A blog with latest news from the self-publishing world and events or technologies that impact self-publishers, as well as tips on how to do our job better or explore new possibilities.
- A list of ratings for self-publishing services. This is so valuable for dodging scams, truly. If you get an “offer from a publisher”, PLEASE check it here first. A lot of those publishing offers are not really publishing offers at all.
- Ratings for awards and contests, to help you avoid spending money on contests that have little value or prestige.
It’s also the only self-publishing organisation that I am currently a paid-up member of. I keep signing up to ALLi again each year because of:
- An excellent members-only Facebook forum for asking questions of the group. Often some of the most experienced self-publishers, such as Joanna Penn, will pop in to answer your question.
- Extremely useful discounts on Ingram Spark, a massive print-on-demand printer and distributor that I use for all my books.
- Advocacy for members who run into serious difficulties with various platforms.
You can check out the membership details here (I’m very happy to be an affiliate of this organisation).
4. David Gaughran, davidgaughran.com
David Gaughran is an Irish author whose site is full of great tips for marketing your self-published book. He takes a different angle to many of the other self-publishing gurus, providing a nice balance.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of David’s website and blog is that there’s not much on it! That might sound a bit strange… but he only publishes a new post when he’s got something really good to say, and in the meantime just updates his articles when details change.
This means there’s less overwhelm when you go to his site looking for information and inspiration.
And he is extraordinarily generous with what he is learning from his own publishing process.
This is another site that is well worth subscribing to. You’ll receive an excellent free ebook and marketing tips once a week.
Blogs listed previously:
These are the three blogs that were listed in my previous version of this post, and why they are not in it this time.
- Molly Greene, romantic suspense author at www.molly-greene.com has had really great material but is on hiatus.
- Joel Friedlander of thebookdesigner.com has sold his business. Such extraordinary content from Joel and his team over many years.
- Michael Hyatt of michaelhyatt.com has moved into leadership training. This is one of the benefits of a blog… you can change topic if you wish!
So that’s my Sampler of four blogs to get you started in self-publishing. They are all very different people, and very different blogs. If I didn’t mention your blog, fear not, I still love you. Another time!
It was very hard limiting this Sampler to just four, but I hope these will give you a useful cross-section of information, if you are just embarking on the self-publishing journey.
Tell us which blogs you love, and why. Help other writers. I love to read your comments!
Nice article!
I just nedded a start to self publish my book and I got it from your article
A big thanks
Really informative article. As a writer it will help me alot in selfpublishing my book.
Thanks for your guidance.
I’ve only heard of two – Creative Penn and Book Designer. I especially like the Book Designer. I will make sure to check out the other two. If you have time, check out my blog and tell me what you think. http://www.taneekabdasilva.com.
Believing that, “If We Write it They Will Come”
There are a lot of writers who mistakenly believe that self-publishing is an easier and faster way to fame and success. Yeah, um no. And those magic beans are really just beans. Sorry.
Self-publishing is A LOT of work, especially if we are starting out this way. I know Bob Mayer and Joe Konrath lecture writers to do less social media and more writing. To an extent I agree, but here is the thing. These guys were branded traditional authors who could slap New York Times Best-Selling in front of their names when they decided to go it alone. If you can’t slap New York Times Best-Selling in front of your name, prepare for a ton of work.
Very true, Freddie. Self-publishing is a lot of work.
Traditional publishing is also a lot of work.
Really that is very important information ! Thank you for sharing it. We are in same field . For more information please do visit our website.
Creative Penn and The Book Designer definitely ring a bell. If I may, I have a blog too, http://www.self-publishingresources.com/. Fresh articles, tidbits, and news about self-publishing are main the focus on this blog.
I recognized the Creative Penn and The Book Designer, but the other two were new to me. Always great to discover quality blogs in the self-publishing arena.
It’s also interesting how others who are, as you say, friends and encouragers can be of help to us rather than competition.
Dave, I love the way self-pubbers often help others, even though they are direct competition. Who knows if it will always be that way, but I’m enjoying it while it lasts. 🙂
Thanks for this great post!
To enrich the marketing strategies for authors, in addition to what it is mentioned here, I’d like to include the following which I could test with good results:
1. Take advantage of the launch of a new site thebooksmachine.com to give your work a shock of publicity tools and also obtain honest reviews on the platform where you have published your books. The platform has a paid membership but they are offering free memberships for a limited time. I can’t guarantee that they’ll still be available so you should try to take advantage while it lasts.
2. Fill in your author information on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. It’s really important that we connect to the reader, especially when they don’t know us.
3. Regularly edit and improve the description of your book on those online stores. The description doesn’t just tell what your book is about IT’S ALSO THE READER’S FIRST IMPRESSION. A reader judges your writing based on your description. It’s important not only to inform the reader, you have to seduce them.
4. Create visual support for your book through a website so that when you post on social media you have a visual connection. If you can’t afford the investment in a professional web page, create a blog. There are tons of tutorials.
Well friends, that’s my mini summary of what I have experienced first-hand.
I’m already putting it into practice daily with my book and I’m seeing my sales increase daily.
Stay well,
Amy
Great post, Belinda! Wonderful information on what’s immediately useful for self-publishing on these blogs.
Yes, they continue to be favourite blogs of mine. 🙂
I am a publicist out of Los Angeles and if you google me….you will find I’m real. I take on authors with marketable books, I have very reasonable rates, packages, also per item fees for publicity and marketing of your books. I have the ability to get you the author and your book known around the world via social media, press releases, media interviews in news papers, radio and television. I also have the ability through my connections to have your book on the largest electronic billboard at Times Square in NY….feel free to contact me for review of your books possibilities. rod@rlhtalent.com Rod L. Harrell
Joanna Penn is excellent. I have used her advice in the past. Self-publishing evolves daily. Up-to-date information can be found in my book, A Writer’s Notebook, along with 20 other topics that writers need to move their projects ahead. Help is here, so why work alone? Check out my website for a sample.
http://www.sanmiguelallendebooks.com/writernotebook.html
Great post! I’d read the Creative Penn before, but not the others. They are now added to my weekly blog check.
While I might nominate my own blog since I do cover the ups and downs of indie publishing, I’m not going to. There is someone I’ve found far more helpful to me. You should try http://www.rachelintheoc.com for all her helpful tips concerning writing but also concerning marketing and social media. Plus, she’s funny. It’s like an added cherry to all the learning.
Thanks BC. Rachel writes some great articles. And funny is always an advantage. 😉
All the best with your own blogging. I hope you have great success and some wonderful interactions!
Belinda, thanks so much for your lovely write up and for selecting my blog to include in your list, I’m honored.
You’re very welcome, Joel. I particularly enjoy your design-focused posts, but I get a lot out of many of the others as well. Thanks for being so generous in sharing your expertise.
Thanks for this great article Belinda. It is wonderful to benefit from your experience and find some sites to head to straight away. Of course, I’m always visiting yours now that I know about it. The comments above also provide further fodder. I have lots of reading to do!
Thank you for the lovely comments about my blog, Norah. I aspire to be as good as those in my sampler. 🙂 Enjoy — there is so much excellent information out there, freely given by generous people. It has certainly revolutionised my understanding of this changing industry!
Thanks for including my site Belinda, and for your support over the years! Things have changed a lot since I was in Brisbane, and perhaps that’s also a good lesson on the speed of change – we think nothing is happening but then suddenly, I’m coming up to 2 years full-time author-entrepreneur 🙂 You’ve also come a long way too!
It’s a pleasure, Joanna. Your blog is a powerhouse! I always get something useful when I drop by.
I get a thrill when I see how well your writing/publishing career is going, not just for your own sake but also because it makes me think, “Yes, it can be done!” Wishing you many, many more years of success.
Thanks for this list of fab blogs, Belinda. And a massive thank you to Joanna Penn for inspiring me to go down the indie author entrepreneur route! Your blog was my first experience of the indie author community. I love the ‘cooperation not competition’ vibe that’s promoted on the creative penn, and between self-published authors everywhere. The internet has not only empowered us to reach readers directly, but to help each other too! 🙂
You’re welcome, Julie, and thanks for stopping by. My entry to the world of self-publishing bloggers was also Joanna’s site! It’s become a comprehensive resource and an ideas bank in the years since I first discovered it.
I agree with you too about the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and encouragement that we see so often among indie authors. It’s inspiring to see people help each other. Best wishes for your writing endeavours! 🙂
Thank you Belinda, and keep up your own excellent blog too of course! 🙂
I agree with your first three suggestions and I’d like to suggest one more: http://www.BookMakingBlog.com. It’s mine.
I cover a wide range of subjects at least five days each week, and have been posting for nearly five years. Topics include writing, editing, grammar, design, marketing, pricing, advertising, publicity, selecting suppliers and more. I also review books aimed at self-publishers.
I’m a bestselling author and publisher of more than 30 books.
http://www.CreateBetterBooks.com
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, Michael. We’ll check that one out. 🙂
Wow, Belinda! Thank you so much for including me in your wonderful list. I’m honored. I feel like my blog has been an experiment in sharing what I’ve learned, as I’ve learned it – with all my messy mistakes revealed. It’s been great fun, hard work, and has brought me confidence and the support of great new friends like yourself. Thanks again!
Hi Molly, you’re welcome, and it’s easy to tell the truth! I think the fact that you are so bold about revealing your “messy mistakes” is what makes it so useful for the rest of us as we learn. We feel as though you are walking beside us, rather than making us feel inferior in any way. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Love these four blogs, Belinda! Thanks for giving them the exposure they deserve. At BookWorks we especially love Joel’s since he compiles a list of blog posts he really likes at the end of every week, which is a great service.
BookWorks has its own burgeoning blog where we try and give a balanced comment on the self-publishing news of the day, as well as resources and tips we think authors might find helpful across the board!
http://bookworksblog.wordpress.com/
Hi Chance, yes Joel’s weekly rundown is a good one too.
Thanks for giving us the tip about your blog. And thanks for stopping by. 🙂