So, I have a friend who is a published author, but her publishing company recently shut their doors. It was probably for the best, and in the midst of it a gift actually came in the ability for this dear author friend to take her work to the next level.
It will be so much better than it was with that failed publishing house for a few reasons, but one that is foremost in my mind is that her artistic vision can be put into the hands of people who really care about seeing it thrive, to capture its beauty, and are passionate about making that creative presence shine in the modern publishing industry.
My friend has thus far been shy about drawing attention to herself, but I want to help her draw attention to what she is trying to share with the world, so as I help her take these first steps into indie publishing, I gave her some helpful advice and information for getting started.
I think this is good for any writer, aspiring indie author, and indie publisher to listen to, so I’m sharing the basics of the letter with you today. I hope you find something helpful here, and if you need more, make sure to check out my How Not to Get Overwhelmed series here on my blog.
A Letter to My Friend Just Starting Out in the World of Indie Publishing
- You should set up an account on amazon for author pages: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/
- You need to add a Kindle Direct Publishing account: https://kdp.amazon.com/
- You need to download this free Amazon/Kindle software for reviewing your books before publishing: Kindle Previewer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000765261
- You should (but it’s not essential right now) download this free one for creating your own Kindle Kids e-books in the future:
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000765261
- Make a Smashwords account: http://www.smashwords.com where you will be able to upload your ebooks for sale at places like Apple & Barnes & Noble, etc. w/o having to do it separately.
- Ingramspark is where you can also make hardbound books.
- I think other companies to check out for that are Blurb and Lulu.
- Lulu is the only free sign-up service of these three Print on Demand (POD)
That was the gist of the letter. I hope you found something helpful here and are encouraged to start on the journey of self publishing with class and confidence!
Wow! This looks very informative! Thank you. I’m a week into my indie publishing and I’m lost!
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Thanks, Megan! I hope you find lots of helpful articles on my blog and if you ever have a question, please just ask! All the best on your indie publishing journey.
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I didn’t know about the free Kindle previewing software. Thanks for sharing!
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It’s super helpful and important for checking your mobi and ebook files before publishing. 🙂 I’m glad I had something useful for you here, E. ❤
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You always deliver helpful tips in all of your posts. ❤
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Reblogged this on Allison the Writer and commented:
This is a wonderful letter written by an awesome writing friend, which ought to be shared with all writing friends who are new to the self-publishing world! And even if you’re not a newbie, it’s an excellent refresher / guide for what to do next time. 🙂
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🙂 Thanks so much, Allison! 😀
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So awesome! Bookmarking. 😀
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Reblogged this on Wind Eggs and commented:
It’s easy to feel lost in the detritus when you’re launching your indie publishing career. Rachel Ritchley shares a few tips that might help you find your way through the details.
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Thanks so much, Phillip! I hope I am able to be of help to your readers and friends. ❤
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You’re so kind, Rachael. Giving someone a place to start is a great help. Great advice! 🙂
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Thanks, Cathleen. I love to help wherever I can with whatever is useful. 🙂 You are also a great help!
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Thanks, Rachael for this helpful advice. 🙂 — Suzanne
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So welcome, Suzanne! 🙂 It’s always a pleasure to help.
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Reblogged this on Lonely Power Poles and commented:
I’m not planning on Self-publishing anytime soon, but this is great stuff to keep somewhere to look up when needed
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Thank you for the very kind reblog, sir! 🙂
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This is great – keeping as a reference
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I’m bookmarking this, Rachael. It’s excellent advice for anyone new to indie publishing 🙂
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Some great tips, Rachael! I’ll be doing these things for my father, now that he’s embarked on an indie author career!
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That’s so exciting! I’m glad I could share some helpful info to get you started!
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Great Post Rachael, friendly informative and thorough. Your friend is lucky to have you.
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Thanks, Paul. Sometimes I’m a little to free with the “suggestions” lol. 🙂
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Never!
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haha 🙂
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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OH! You’re awesome, Chris. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! How you are btw? I’ve been so busy outside the blogosphere that I’ve spent little time interacting and keeping up with my friends here. ❤
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My pleasure Rachael, it’s a great post 👍😃
I’m fine thanks – been busier than a squirrel in a nut processing factory with blog stuff, plus, exploring this new area of U.K. we moved to (last October) 😄
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OH! Wow. I feel like I missed way too much in the last six months! Congrats on the move and new place to explore. Very cool. 🙂
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👍😃
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