This page has my list of resources and recommendations for authors as well as a compilation of references and resources from my book on self-publishing, Pen to Print: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing.
(Some of these links are affiliate links. That means that if you click the link and go on to buy the product from that retailer, I will earn a small commission on it and anything else in your cart at the time. This costs you nothing extra but helps me cover writing expenses, like hosting this website. If you buy any of these books, thanks!)
Craft building recommendations
Writing Craft
First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
Plot versus Character by Jeff Gerke
Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy
The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson
The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
Structuring Your Novel by K. M. Weiland
Outlining Your Novel by K. M. Weiland
Grammar, Editing, and Proofreading
Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie and King
Proofreading Secrets of Best-selling Authors by Kathy Ide
Woe is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
The Chicago Manual of Style (most recent edition)
The Copyeditor’s Handbook by Amy Einsohn (most recent edition)
Pen to Print: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing References and Resources
This is the compilation of references listed in my book on self-publishing, Pen to Print: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing, hyperlinked for ease of use.
Introduction
Alliance of Independent Authors. “The Best Self-Publishing Services. (And the Worst). Rated by ALLi.” Accessed March 3, 2022. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/.
“Book Publishers to Avoid (and Other Shady Author Scams).” August 21, 2019. https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/publishing-companies-to-avoid/.
SFWA. “Writers Beware.” Accessed March 3, 2022. https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/.
Strauss, Victoria. “Vanity/Subsidy Publishers.” SFWA. Accessed March 3, 2022. https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity/.
Chapter 5 Author name
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, 2nd edition. Ten Gallon Press, 2017.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. Episode 122, “When Pen Names Make Sense and How to Rock Them.” March 3, 2022. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/all-things-pen-names/.
Chapter 6 Imprint Name
Amazon KDP. “Metadata Guidelines for Books.” Accessed April 6, 2022.https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201097560#publisher.
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, 2nd edition. Ten Gallon Press, 2017.
TurboTax. “Tax Tips for Freelance Writers and Self-Published Authors.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/self-employment-taxes/tax-tips-for-freelance-writers-and-self-published-authors/L1v0lGVru.
U.S. Small Business Administration. “Choose a Business Structure.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/choose-business-structure.
U.S. Small Business Administration. “Find Local Assistance.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find.
Chapter 7 Writing as a Business
Amazon KDP. “Tax Information.” Accessed March 24, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201723290.
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, 2nd edition. Ten Gallon Press, 2017.
TaxJar. https://www.taxjar.com.
If you live in Alabama, these might be helpful: https://www.myalabamataxes.alabama.gov/_/; https://www.alabamainteractive.org/ador_taxrate_lookup/welcome.action; https://revenue.alabama.gov/taxpayer-advocacy/b-e-s-t-seminars/.
Chapter 8 Copyright
Chesson, Dave. “Ebook Piracy [2022] – What to Do If Someone Steals Your Book.”Kindlepreneur. Accessed March 24, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/ebook-piracy/.
DMCA. “What Is a DMCA Takedown?” Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.dmca.com/FAQ/What-is-a-DMCA-Takedown.
Penn, Joanna. “3 Reasons Authors Shouldn’t Worry about Piracy but How to Protect Yourself Anyway.” Jerry Jenkins. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://jerryjenkins.com/3-reasons-authors-shouldnt-worry-piracy-protect-anyway/.
Penn, Joanna. “Intellectual Property Rights.” The Creative Penn. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/tag/intellectual-property-rights/.
Sedwick, Helen. “A Step-by-Step Guide to Dealing with Content Theft.” The Book Designer.February 27, 2015. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-dealing-with-content-theft/.
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, 2nd edition. Ten Gallon Press, 2017.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. SFA 081. “Selling Foreign Rights and Pitching at Book Fairs with Judith Anderle.”March 11, 2021. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/selling-foreign-rights-and-pitching-at-book-fairs/.
US Copyright Office. https://www.copyright.gov.
US Copyright Office. “Registration of literary works.” https://www.copyright.gov/registration/literary-works/.
US Copyright Office. “Fees.” https://www.copyright.gov/about/fees.html.
Chapter 10 Ebook distribution
Amazon. “Kindle Unlimited.” https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/subscribe/ku.
Amazon. “KDP Select.” https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990.
Amazon. “Royalties in Kindle Unlimited.” Accessed April 6, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201541130.
Apple Books for Authors. https://authors.apple.com.
Chesson, Dave. “Draft2Digital vs PublishDrive Review.” Kindlepreneur. February 23, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/smashwords-vs-draft2digital/.
Chesson, Dave. “Publish Drive Review (Is It Worth It?) + Promo Code!” Kindlepreneur. August 16, 2021. https://kindlepreneur.com/publish-drive-review/.
Draft2Digital. “How to Publish with Draft2Digital.” Accessed April 6, 2022. https://www.draft2digital.com/steps/.
Google Play. https://play.google.com/books/publish.
Kobo. https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/writinglife.
Lefebvre, Mark Leslie. Wide for the Win: Strategies to Sell Globally via Multiple Platforms and Forge Your Own Path to Success (Stark Publishing Solutions Book 4).
Publish Drive. https://publishdrive.com.
Smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. SFA 080. “Kindle Unlimited vs Wide (i.e. Amazon Exclusivity vs. Not).” March 4, 2021. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/kindle-unlimited-vs-wide-i-e-amazon-exclusivity-vs-not/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. SFA 119. “Myths About Success in Self-Publishing.” February 10, 2022. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/myths-about-success-in-self-publishing/.
Chapter 11 Introduction to Print
Alliance of Independent Authors. “Which is better: KDP Print or IngramSpark?” August 21, 2021. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/use-both-kdp-print-and-ingram-spark-together/.
Amazon KDP. “Format your paperback.” https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834190.
Amazon KDP. “Hardcover.” https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GAVW3FZZAKA2KY3B.
Barnes and Noble Press. “Print Personal Books.” https://press.barnesandnoble.com/print-on-demand.
Barnes and Noble Press. “How to Self-Publish with Us.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/how-it-works.
BookBaby. https://www.bookbaby.com.
Draft2Digital. “D2D Print Price Calculator.” https://draft2digital.com/podcalc.
IngramSpark. “How It Works.” https://www.ingramspark.com/how-it-works.
IngramSpark. “Print and Ship Calculator.” https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/ShippingCalculator.
Kuiken, Sarah. “Everything You Need to Know About D2D Print.” Draft2Digital. September 9, 2021. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-d2d-print/.
Lulu. https://www.lulu.com.
Tumlinson, Kevin. “D2D Print now in beta! Here’s what you need to know…” Draft2Digital. October 30, 2018. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/d2d-print-now-in-beta-heres-what-you-need-to-know/.
Young, Debbie. “Are Bookstores Worth it for Indie Authors?” Alliance of Independent Authors. January 25, 2021. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/are-bookstores-worth-it-for-indie-authors/.
Chapter 13 Schedule
Gaughran, David. “Rapid Release and Launching Books – Beast Mode for authors?” (YouTube video). December 22, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5TRfB1Lg_c.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 119 – Myths About Success in Self-Publishing.” February 10, 2022. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/myths-about-success-in-self-publishing/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “Why Rapid Release is a Risky Book Launch Strategy.” Author Media. October 7, 2020. https://www.authormedia.com/why-rapid-release-is-a-risky-book-launch-strategy/.
Chapter 16 Patreon and Crowdfunding
Bournias, Stephen. “13+ Brilliant Patreon Alternatives to Monetize Your Audience.” Accessed March 21, 2022. AppSumo (blog). https://blog.appsumo.com/patreon-alternatives/.
Herbert, Patrick. “Crowdfunding for Authors: A Simple Guide for 2022.” Self-publishing.com. May 20, 2021. https://selfpublishing.com/crowdfunding-for-authors/.
MiblArt. “How Indie Authors Can Use Patreon: Everything You Need to Know.” Accessed March 21, 2021.https://miblart.com/blog/patreon-for-indie-authors/.
Sanderson, Brandon. “Most Funded Kickstarter Ever (2022)” (YouTube Video). March 4, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmj2Mzhlflg.
Sanderson, Brandon. “Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson.” Kickstarter. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson.
Sydner, Lucy. “How to Crowdfund Your Writing With Patreon.” December 22, 2018. https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/how-to-crowdfund-writing-crowdfunding-your-writing-patreon.
Chapter 18 Getting the Manuscript Ready (editing)
Editorial Freelancers Associations. “Editorial Rates.” https://www.the-efa.org/rates/.
Editorial Freelancers Association. “Hiring an Editor: A Guide for New Authors.” (PDF) https://www.the-efa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Guidebook-for-new-authors-2020.pdf.
Ide, Kathy. Editing Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. LPC, 2020.
Ide, Kathy. Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. LPC, 2016.
Renni Brown and David King. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself into Print. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2014.
Scribophile. https://www.scribophile.com.
Weiland, K.M. “15 Places to Find Your Next Beta Reader.” Helping Writers Become Authors. March 4, 2016. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/find-your-next-beta-reader/.
Chapter 25 Branding
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Fox, Chris. Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells (Write Faster, Write Smarter 3). 2016.
Gaughran, David. Amazon Decoded: A Marketing Guide to the Kindle Store (Let’s Get Publishing Book 4). David Gaughran, 2020.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 069 – Selling Hard-to-Categorize Books That Aren’t Written to Market/Trope.” December 17, 2020. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/selling-hard-to-categorize-books-not-written-to-market-trope/.
Chapter 26 Comparable books
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Gardner, Rachelle. “Finding Comparable Books.” Rachelle Gardner. September 15, 2020. https://rachellegardner.com/finding-comparable-books/.
Chapter 27 Author Bio
Chesson, Dave. “How to Write an Author Bio [With Examples and Templates].” Kindlepreneur. February 7, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/write-author-bio/.
Reedsy. “How to Write a Killer Author Bio (With Template).” February 24. 2022. https://blog.reedsy.com/author-bio/.
Wise, Maureen.“How to Write an Author Bio Examples & Tips to Sell.” Self-Publishing School. December 14, 2021. https://self-publishingschool.com/author-bio/.
Chapter 28 Website and author email
There are many resources online concerning websites, but here are a few that have been helpful for me. They tend to talk more about WordPress than other website builders, so be sure to check out Wix, Weebly, Squarespace and others as well.
Convert Kit. “Landing Pages.” https://convertkit.com/features/landing-pages.
GDPR. “What is GDPR?” https://gdpr.eu/what-is-gdpr/.
Hyatt, Michael. “How to Launch a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in 20 Minutes or Less.” (YouTube video) June 20, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFLk3srgg1M.
Ingermanson, Randy. “GDPR for Authors, Part 1.”Advanced Fiction Writing.May 13, 2018. https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2018/05/13/gdpr-authors-part-1/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Get a Professional Email Address.” Author Media. March 16, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-get-a-professional-email-address/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Speed Up Your Author Website.” Author Media. February 2, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-speed-up-your-author-website/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Have an Amazing Author Website: A Guide for Tech-Timid Authors.” Author Media. https://training.authormedia.com/p/amazing-author-websites.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “Why American Authors Don’t Need to Worry about GDPR.” Author Media. May 21, 2018. https://www.authormedia.com/why-american-authors-dont-need-to-worry-about-gdpr/.
WordPress.com Support. “Wordpress.com versus WordPress.org.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/.
Chapter 30 Newsletter
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Labrecque, Tammi L. Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert. Newsletter Ninja, 2018.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. SFA 056. “Using Your Newsletter to Sell More Books (Part 1)” September 17, 2020. https://6figureauthors.com/tag/email-newsletters/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Pick the Right Email Marketing Service for You.” Author Media. August 26, 2020. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-pick-the-right-email-platform/.
Chapter 30 Reader Magnet
BookFunnel. https://BookFunnel.com.
Chesson, Dave. “The Best Types of Reader Magnets: Both Fiction and Nonfiction.” (Blog) BookFunnel. May 26, 2021. https://blog.BookFunnel.com/2021/the-best-types-of-reader-magnets-fiction-and-nonfiction/.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Labrecque, Tammi L. Newsletter Ninja 2: If You Give a Reader a Cookie: Supercharge Your Author Mailing List With the Perfect Reader Magnet. Newsletter Ninja, 2022.
MyBookCave. https://mybookcave.com.
Stephenson, Nick. Reader Magnets: Build Your Author Platform and Sell more Books on Kindle. Your First 10,000 Readers, 2014.
StoryOrigin. https://storyoriginapp.com.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “145 – How to Create a Reader (Lead) Magnet.” Author Media. July 18, 2018. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-create-a-reader-magnet/.
Chapter 36 Title and series name
Bolt, Chandler. “Book Title Ideas: Choosing Your Own & Generators to Use.” Self-Publishing School. February 22, 2022. https://self-publishingschool.com/book-title-ideas-choose-perfect-title-book/.
Umstadt, Thomas Jr. “How to Pick a Strong Book Title.” Author Media. December 9, 2020. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-pick-a-strong-book-title/.
Chapter 36 Keywords and categories
Amazon KDP. “Browse Categories.” https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200652170.
BISG. “Complete BISAC Subject Headings List, 2021 Edition.” https://bisg.org/page/BISACEdition.
Chesson, Dave. “BISACs vs Amazon Categories – I Can’t Find the Category I Want!” (YouTube) June 5, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wTThtack9I.
Chesson, Dave. “How to Add More Amazon Book Categories to Your Book (You can Rank For 10!).” (YouTube) February 23, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GO-XNA0epE&t=2s.
Chesson, Dave. “How To Choose the Right Kindle Keywords.” Kindlepreneur. October 20, 2021. https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-choose-kindle-keywords/.
Chesson, Dave. “Kindle Keyword Strategy For Fiction Authors.” Kindlepreneur. October 20, 2021. https://kindlepreneur.com/kindle-keywords-fiction-author-strategy/.
Gaughran, David. “These Amazon Category Hacks Can Boost Your Book Sales.” May 9, 2021. https://davidgaughran.com/amazon-book-category-kindle-categories/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 069 – Selling Hard-to-Categorize Books That Aren’t Written to Market/Trope.” December 17, 2020. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/selling-hard-to-categorize-books-not-written-to-market-trope/.
Chapter 37 Book pricing: ebooks
Altair, Zara. “What’s the Right Length for My Book?” ProWritingAid. May 25, 2020. https://prowritingaid.com/art/1243/genrebook-length-.aspx.
Amazon KDP. “Digital Pricing Page.” August 14, 2020. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634500.
Apple Books. “Sales and Reporting.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://authors.apple.com/sales-and-reporting.
Barnes and Noble Press. “Barnes & Noble Press Royalty and Payment Terms.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/legal/royalty-payment-terms.
Kobo Writing Life. “Frequently Asked Questions.” March 28, 2016. https://kobowritinglife.com/2016/03/28/frequently-asked-questions/.
Kobo Writing Life. “How does Kobo Plus pay?” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kobowritinglife.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360059386091-How-does-Kobo-Plus-pay–.
Reedsy Blog. “Word Counts: How Long is a Novella, Novelette, and Short Story?” June 13, 2021. https://blog.reedsy.com/word-count-novella-short-story-length/.
Chapter 38 Book pricing: print
Amazon KDP. “Printing Cost and Royalty Calculator.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GSQF43YAMUPFTMSP.
Amazon KDP. “Paperback Printing Cost.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340.
Apple Books. “Sales and Reporting.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://authors.apple.com/sales-and-reporting.
Barnes and Noble Press. “Barnes & Noble Press Royalty and Payment Terms.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/legal/royalty-payment-terms.
Draft2Digital. “D2D Print Price Calculator.” https://draft2digital.com/podcalc.
IngramSpark. “Print and Ship Calculator.” https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/ShippingCalculator.
Tumlinson, Kevin. “D2D Print now in beta! Here’s what you need to know…” Draft2Digital. October 30, 2018. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/d2d-print-now-in-beta-heres-what-you-need-to-know/.
Chapter 39 Back cover copy
Chesson, Dave. “How to Create a Back-Cover Blurb that Sells.” Kindlepreneur. March 2, 2022.https://kindlepreneur.com/back-book-cover-blurb/.
Erik, Nicholas. “Blurb Cheat Sheet.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://nicholaserik.com/start/. (Link to PDF on this page.)
Hoffman, Jessi Rita. “Writing Your Book’s Back-Cover Copy.” Jane Friedman. August 16, 2015. https://www.janefriedman.com/writing-back-cover-copy/.
Chapter 40 Tagline and hook
Ashford, Tom. “Hooks and Taglines – What Are They?” Self-Publishing Formula. February 7, 2020.https://selfpublishingformula.com/hooks-and-taglines-what-are-they/.
Dittemore, Shannon. “How to Craft a Killer Tagline for Your Book.” Go Teen Writers. May 8, 2020. https://goteenwriters.com/2020/05/08/how-to-craft-a-killer-tagline-for-your-book/.
Chapter 41 Book links
Books2Read. https://books2read.com.
Jacob, Ennica. “What is a QR code? A guide to the barcode’s basics, why you’re seeing it everywhere, and how to scan one.” Business Insider. May 3, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-qr-code.
Sears, Devin. “QR Codes Uses: How To Grow Your Business With QR Code Marketing.” Bluehost. August 15, 2021. https://www.bluehost.com/resources/qr-code-marketing/.
Chapter 43 Covers
Amazon KDP. “Cover Image Guidelines.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G6GTK3T3NUHKLEFX.
Amazon KPD. “Create a Paperback Cover.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201953020.
Erik, Nicholas. “Author Resources.” October 6, 2021. https://nicholaserik.com/resources/.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Hamilton, Jason. “Font Copyright Laws for Books: Your Print Book Could be in Violation.” Kindlepreneur. February 23, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/font-copyright.
Ippolito, Janeen. “3 Tips for Working with a Book Cover Designer.” June 5, 2020. https://www.janeenippolito.com/writingmarketinghelp/3-tips-for-working-with-a-book-cover-designer/.
MiblArt. “Fantasy Book Cover Fonts: Professional Tips.” Accessed March 22, 2022.https://miblart.com/blog/fantasy-book-cover-fonts/.
MiblArt. “How to Design a Book Cover: The Only Guide You Need.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://miblart.com/blog/how-to-design-a-book-cover/.
Payne, Chris. “Book Cover Design Basics.” IngramSpark. December 15, 2021. https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/book-cover-design-basics.
Penn, Joanna. “How To Find And Work With A Book Cover Designer.” The Creative Penn. February 14, 2018. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/02/14/how-to-find-and-work-with-a-book-cover-designer/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr and DouPounce, Kirk. “Effective Book Cover Design.” Author Media. March 23, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/effective-book-cover-design/.
A few design marketplaces:
99Designs. https://99designs.com.
Fiverr Book Cover Design. https://www.fiverr.com/categories/graphics-design/book-design/cover.
Upwork Book Cover Design. https://www.upwork.com/services/book-design/book-cover-design.
Chapter 44 Formatting your book, part I
Amazon. “Kindle Create.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Create/b?ie=UTF8&node=18292298011.
Amazon KDP. “Format Your Paperback —> Save Your Manuscript File.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202145060.
Amazon KDP. “What file formats are supported for eBook manuscripts?” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634390.
Apple. “Use advanced book creation options in Pages.” Accessed April 11, 2022. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202066.
Atticus. https://www.atticus.io.
Chesson, Dave. “How to Hire a Book Formatter.” Kindlepreneur. March 24, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-hire-a-book-formatter/.
Chesson, Dave. “Parts of a Book [From Cover To Cover].” Kindlepreneur. February 7, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/parts-of-a-book/.
Coker, Mark. Smashwords Style Guide: How to Format Your Ebook. Smashwords, 2012.
Friedlander, Joel. The Book Blueprint: Expert Advice for Creating Industry-Standard Print Books.
Hamilton, Jason. “Font Copyright Laws for Books: Your Print Book Could be in Violation.” Kindlepreneur. February 23rd, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/font-copyright.
Reedsy Book Editor. https://reedsy.com/write-a-book.
The Book Designer. “Front Matter: Organizing the Beginning of Your Book.” September 20, 2021. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2021/09/self-publishing-basics-how-to-organize-your-books-front-matter/.
Tumlinson, Kevin. “Draft2Digital Introduces Professional-Quality eBook Templates.” August 31, 2017. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/draft2digital-introduces-professional-quality-ebook-templates/.
Vellum. www.vellum.pub.
Chapter 46 Print book decisions
Amazon KDP. “Format Your Paperback—>Save Your Manuscript File.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202145060.
Friedlander, Joel. “Casewrap vs Dust Jacket? Shelf-Publishers Make the Hard(cover) Choice.” The Book Designer. January 14, 2010. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/01/casewrap-vs-dust-jacket/.
IngramSpark. “Inside the Book.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.ingramspark.com/plan-your-book/print/trim-sizes.
Chapter 47 Large print
Hamilton, Jason. “How to Publish Large Print Books and Why You Should.” Kindlepreneur. February 17, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/large-print.
Penn, Joanna. “Why Publish a Large Print Edition of Your Books?” (YouTube) The Creative Penn. https://youtu.be/mK1sciYoHlM.
Phillips, Russell. “Book Production: How to Self-publish Large-Print Books.” ALLi. November 29, 2018. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publish-large-print-books/.
The American Council of the Blind. “Best Practices and Guidelines for Large Print Documents Used by the Low Vision Community.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://acb.org/best-practices-and-guidelines-large-print-documents-used-low-vision-community-authored-council.
Vellum. “Creating a Large Print Edition.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://help.vellum.pub/guides/large-print/.
Chapter 48 Copyright page
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, 2nd edition.
Library of Congress. “Preassigned Control Number Program.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/newaccount.html.
Chapter ISBN, ASIN, Barcode
Allen, Scott. “How to Get an ISBN Number for a Self-Published Book & Other FAQs.” Self-publishing.com.August 20, 2020. https://selfpublishing.com/isbn-number-self-published-book/.
Amazon KDP. “International Standard Book Number (ISBN).” Accessed April 11, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170.
Barnes & Noble. “BN.com and Retail Store Placement for Books.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/publishers-authors/sell-your-book-at-barnes-noble/.
Bowker. “Barcode.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/barcode.
Bowker. “FAQS: Barcodes.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.myidentifiers.com/faq/barcodes.
Bowker. “Buy ISBN.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/isbn/buy-isbn.
Chesson, Dave. “ISBN Bar Code Generator.” Kindlepreneur. January 13, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/isbn-bar-code-generator/.
IBPA. “IBPA’s Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/standardschecklist.
IngramSpark. “ISBNs: International Standard Book Number Facts for Self-Publishers.”December 15, 2020. https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/isbn-facts-for-self-publishers.
Library of Congress. “Preassigned Control Number Program.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/newaccount.html.
For international ISBNs:
For Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/isbn-canada/pages/isbn-canada.aspx. For the UK, Ireland or a British Overseas Territory, visit https://www.nielsenisbnstore.com. Elsewhere international, visit https://www.isbn-international.org.
Chapter 50 Backmatter
Amazon KDP. “Digital Pricing Page.” August 14, 2020.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634500.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Chapter 53 Launch strategy
Amazon KDP. “Timelines.” Accessed March 30, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202173620.
Fox, Chris. Launch to Market: Easy Marketing For Authors (Write Faster, Write Smarter Book 4). 2016.
Johnson, Elana. “20Books Vegas 2021 Day 1 – Elana Johnson – Rapid Release Marketing.” (YouTube) November 10, 2021.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEW3iDtd-HQ.
Johnson, Elana. Writing and Releasing Rapidly (Indie Inspiration for Self-Publishers Book 1). AEJ Creative Works, 2019.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 084 – Book Launch Check List.” April 21, 2021. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/084-book-launch-check-list/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast (with guest Dave Chesson). “SFA 100 – Improving Organic Book Sales, Book Launch Tips, and How to Use A-Plus Content on Amazon.” September 23, 2021. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/improving-organic-book-sales-book-launch-tips-and-how-to-use-a-plus-content-on-amazon-dave-chesson/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 121 – Tips for Selling Books Outside of Amazon + Draft2Digital/Smashwords Updates.” February 23, 2022. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/tips-for-selling-books-outside-of-amazon-draft2digital-smashwords-updates/. (beginning at about 19 minutes from the end for launch strategy)
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 125 – How to Launch a Successful Book Series.” March 24, 2022. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/how-to-launch-a-successful-book-series/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Launch Your Book on a Budget.” Author Media. February 23, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-launch-your-book-on-a-budget/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “Why Rapid Release is a Risky Book Launch Strategy.” Author Media. October 7, 2020. https://www.authormedia.com/why-rapid-release-is-a-risky-book-launch-strategy/.
Chapter 54 Pre-order
Amazon KDP. “Kindle eBook Pre-Order.” Accessed March 24, 2022.https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201499380.
Amazon KDP. “Timelines.” Accessed March 30, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202173620.
Bylo, Justine. “Setting a Future On-Sale Date as Part of Your Book Marketing Strategy.” IngramSpark. March 24, 2021. https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/on-sale-date-for-book-marketing.
Chapter 56 ARC
Amazon. “Community Guidelines.” March 23, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201602680.
BookFunnel. https://BookFunnel.com.
BookSirens. https://booksirens.com.
Booksprout. https://booksprout.co/pricing.
MyBookCave. https://mybookcave.com.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 055 – Getting Reviews and Starting a Street Team/Review Crew.” September 10, 2020. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/getting-reviews-and-starting-a-street-team-review-crew/.
StoryOrigin. https://storyoriginapp.com.
Chapter 57 Editorial reviews and endorsers
Kirkus. “Indie Reviews.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie-reviews/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Get Endorsements for Your Book.” Author Media. September 15, 2021. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-get-endorsements-for-your-book/.
Chapter 58 Blogging and social media
Bosken, Nina. “Facebook for Authors: Using Facebook to its Full Potential as an Author.” Self-Publishing School. December 13, 2020. https://self-publishingschool.com/facebook-for-authors/.
Chesson, Dave. “How to Create a Facebook Author Page (And Tips for Using It Wisely).” Kindlepreneur. March 25, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/facebook-author-page/.
Chesson, Dave. “Instagram for Writers [2022]: How to Get the Most out of It.” Kindlepreneur. March 25, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/instagram-for-writers-and-authors/.
Chesson, Dave. “The Ultimate Guide to Goodreads for Authors.” Kindlepreneur. March 25, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-use-goodreads-for-authors/.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Self-Publishing Formula. “How to Sell More Books Using TikTok (The Self Publishing Show, episode 294).” (YouTube) September 3, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gBcuKQQj_s.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Use Goodreads to Promote Your Book.” Author Media. March 30, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-promote-books-goodreads/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “Why Most Authors Don’t Need Social Media in 2022.” Author Media. January 12, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/2022-social-media-marketing-guide-for-authors/.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “What Every Author Needs to Know About Cyber Security.” Author Media. December 28, 2021. https://www.authormedia.com/what-every-author-needs-to-know-about-cyber-security/.
Chapter 62 Anthologies, group releases, etc.
PubShare. https://pubshare.com/about/collaborative-publishing.
PublishDrive. “PublishDrive Abacus and Team Royalties.”https://publishdrive.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/4403679961106-PublishDrive-Abacus-and-Team-Royalties.
Tumlinson, Kevin. “Announcing D2D Payment Splitting!” Draft2Digital. Nov 18, 2020. https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/announcing-d2d-payment-splitting/.
Chapter 63 Book promotion services
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Countdown Deals.” Accessed March 23, 2022.https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201293780.
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Free Book Promotions.” Accessed March 23, 2022.https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201298240.
Amazon KDP. “Nominate Your eBook for a Promotion (Beta).” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GHNKT7V426GVDM3G.
Apple Books. “Apple Books Promo Codes.” Accessed March 23, 2022.https://itunespartner.apple.com/books/articles/apple-books-promo-codes-2740.
BookBub Partners. “Featured Deals Pricing and Statistics.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.BookBub.com/partners/pricing.
BookBub Partners. “Overview.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.BookBub.com/partners/overview.
BookBub Partners. “New Releases for Less Pricing.”Accessed March 23, 2022.https://www.BookBub.com/partners/new_releases_for_less_pricing.
Erik, Nicholas. “Promo sites.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://nicholaserik.com/promo-sites/.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Gaughran, David. “Best Book Promotion Sites.” https://davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books/.
Gaughran, David. BookBub Ads Expert: A Marketing Guide to Author Discovery (Let’s Get Publishing Book 3). David Gaughran, 2019.
Chapter 64 Ads
Amazon Ads. https://advertising.amazon.com.
Erik, Nicholas. The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing: The 80/20 System for Selling More Books (Ultimate Author Guides). 2020.
Fox, Chris. Ads for Authors Who Hate Math: Write Faster, Write Smarter. 2019.
Gaughran, David. Amazon Decoded: A Marketing Guide to the Kindle Store (Let’s Get Publishing Book 4). David Gaughran, 2020.
Gaughran, David. BookBub Ads Expert: A Marketing Guide to Author Discovery (Let’s Get Publishing Book 3).
Robertson, Carlyn. “How to Promote Any Book with BookBub Ads.” March 3, 2022. https://insights.BookBub.com/promote-any-book-BookBub-ads.
Self Publishing Formula. Learn Amazon Ads: Use AMS to Find More Readers and Sell More Books. SPF Books, 2017.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “Facebook Advertising for Authors.” Author Media. March 9, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/facebook-advertising-for-authors/.
Chapter 64 Contests and best seller lists
Erik, Nicholas. “Mini Guide: How to Hit the USA Today Bestseller List.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://nicholaserik.com/usa-today-bestseller-mini-guide/.
Muniz, Gabe. “How to Get on the New York Times Bestseller List.” Self-Publishing School. February 4, 2022. https://self-publishingschool.com/get-on-the-new-york-times-bestseller-list/.
Publisher Rocket. https://publisherrocket.com.
Writers Beware/SFWA. “Contests and Awards.” https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/contests/.
Writer’s Digest’s Writer’s Market. https://writersmarket.com.
Chapter 66 Giveaways
BookSweeps. “Join a Promotion.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.booksweeps.com/authors/join-a-promo.
BookSweeps. “What Is BookSweeps?” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.booksweeps.com/overview/.
King Sumo. https://appsumo.com/products/kingsumo/.
Rafflecopter. “Pricing.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.rafflecopter.com/pricing.
Rafflecopter. “Tour.” Accessed March 23, 2022. https://www.rafflecopter.com/tour.
StoryBundle. Accessed March 23, 2022. https://storybundle.com/faq.
Umstattd, Thomas Jr. “How to Use Goodreads to Promote Your Book.” Author Media. March 30, 2022. https://www.authormedia.com/how-to-promote-books-goodreads/.
Chapter 69 Retailer Account Setup
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/.
Amazon KDP Payments. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200641050.
Apple Books. https://authors.apple.com.
Barnes & Noble. “How to Self-Publish with Us.” Accessed March 24, 2022. https://press.barnesandnoble.com/how-it-works.
Draft2Digital. https://www.draft2digital.com.
Google Play. https://play.google.com/books/publish.
IngramSpark. https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Account/Signup.
IRS. “Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN).”https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin.
Kobo. https://kobowritinglife.zendesk.com/hc/en-us.
Reedsy. “How to Publish (and Sell) on Apple Books in 2022.” December 31, 2021. https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-publish-on-apple-books/.
Smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com/signup/.
Smashwords. “How to Publish and Distribute Ebooks with Smashwords.” https://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords.
Chapter 75 Bookstores and libraries
Barnes & Noble. “BN.com and Retail Store Placement for Books.” Accessed March 22, 2022. https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/publishers-authors/sell-your-book-at-barnes-noble/.
Book-A-Million. “BAM Retail Store Title Submissions.” Accessed March 24, 2022. https://m.booksamillion.com/publishers/books.html.
Sedwick, Helen. Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook. Ten Gallon Press, 2017.
Chapter 76 Selling direct
BookFunnel. “Deliver Your Ebook and Audiobook Sales.” Accessed March 24, 2022.https://authors.BookFunnel.com/help/delivery-actions/.
Kova, Elise. “Licensed Merchandise.” Accessed March 24, 2022. https://elisekova.com/interested-in-licencing/.
Penn, Joanna. “How To Sell Ebooks And Audiobooks Direct With Payhip And BookFunnel.” The Creative Penn. February 19, 2021. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2021/02/19/sell-ebooks-and-audiobooks-direct-with-Payhip-and-BookFunnel/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 017 – Selling Ebooks Direct, Growing Your Newsletter with Bonus Content, and Benefits of In-Person Events with Damon Courtney from BookFunnel.” July 19, 2019.https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/selling-ebooks-direct-growing-your-newsletter-with-bonus-content-BookFunnel/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 115 – Making More Money Selling Your Books Direct.” January 13, 2022.https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/making-more-money-selling-your-books-direct-katie-cross/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 126 – More Tips for Selling Direct with Katie Cross.” March 31, 2022.https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/more-tips-for-selling-direct-with-katie-cross/.
USPS. “Print Click-N-Ship Online Postage.” Accessed March 24, 2022. https://www.usps.com/ship/online-shipping.htm.
Chapter 81 Audiobooks
ACX. “Bounty Referral Program.” https://www.acx.com/help/bounty-referral-program/UEF9JUCH9AZEKA4.
ACX. “How Long Will My Narrated Book Be?” https://help.acx.com/s/article/how-long-will-my-narrated-audiobook-be.
ACX. “How Much Will My Audiobook Sell for in Stores?” https://help.acx.com/s/article/how-much-will-my-audiobook-sell-for-in-stores.
ACX. “The Basics.” https://www.acx.com/help/general/200474410.
ALLi. “Audiblegate Campaign: Fair Deal for Rights Holders.” Accessed March 21, 2022. https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/audible-campaign/.
Authors Republic. https://www.authorsrepublic.com.
Chesson, Dave. “Audiobook Narrators: A List of Our Recommendations.” Kindlepreneur. March 24, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/audiobook-narrators/.
Cross, Colleen. “The Truth Behind Audible Subscription Earnings.” Self-Publishing Advice. February 20, 2021. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/the-truth-behind-audible-subscription-earnings/.
Doppler, John. “Audiobook Publishing Alternatives to ACX: A Comparison.” Self-Publishing Advice. April 8, 2021. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/audiobook-publishing-alternatives-to-acx/.
Findaway Voices. https://findawayvoices.com.
Findaway Voices Blog. “How to Calculate Your Audiobook Royalties.” May 17, 2018. https://blog.findawayvoices.com/how-to-calculate-your-audiobook-royalties/.
Findaway Voices Blog. “Marketplace Is Open for Authors.” February 14, 2022.https://blog.findawayvoices.com/marketplace-is-open/.
Hamilton, Jason. “How To Make An Audiobook: Publishing on ACX and Audiobook Marketing.” Kindlepreneur. April 6, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-make-an-audiobook/.
Chapter 82 Kindle Vella
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Vella – Publish an Episode.” Accessed April 5, 2022.https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQXRPEL7X6FLCRRH.
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Vella – Reader Experience.” Accessed April 5, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G6F5YEPRLMKR3PV7.
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Vella – Royalties, Reporting, and Payments.” Accessed April 5, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G5TFR9WSHB46ZKFN.
Amazon KDP. “Kindle Vella – Start a Story.” Accessed April 5, 2022. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GKWM7L5U6ESNFT5X#storydetails.
Chesson, Dave. “Wattpad Review: Is Wattpad Really Worth It?”. Kindlepreneur. January 3, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/wattpad-review/.
Hamilton, Jason. “Kindle Vella: Description, Features, and Tips for Authors.” Kindlepreneur. Accessed March 25, 2022. https://kindlepreneur.com/kindle-vella/.
Radish Fiction. https://www.radishfiction.com.
Wattpad. https://www.wattpad.com.
Webnovel. https://www.webnovel.com.
Chapter 83 Plays and Screenplays
Act One. “Hollywood Writing Program.” https://actoneprogram.com/online-writing-program/.
Baehr, Ted. How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul): A Field Guide for Christian Screenwriters, Actors, Producers, Directors, and More. WND Books, 2011.
Bloom, Alex. “7 Steps For Adapting Your Novel Into A Screenplay.” The Creative Penn. December 13, 2017. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/12/13/adapting-novel-screenplay/.
Rosen, Fred. “Selling Your Book’s Movie and TV Rights: What You Need to Know.” Writer’s Digest. September 25, 2012. https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/selling-your-books-movie-and-tv-rights-what-you-need-to-know.
Snyder, Blake. Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. Michael Wiese Productions, 2005.
Chapter 84 Translations and foreign rights
IPR License. https://frankfurtrights.com.
Knight, Matt. “Selling Foreign Rights – It is easier than you think!” Sidebar Saturdays. November 11, 2017. https://www.sidebarsaturdays.com/2017/11/11/httpswp-mep7vddb-x3/.
Orna Ross and Helen Sedwick. “Selling Your Books Internationally.” Jane Friedman. February 6, 2019. https://www.janefriedman.com/selling-books-internationally/.
Six Figure Authors Podcast. “SFA 081 – Selling Foreign Rights and Pitching at Book Fairs with Judith Anderle.”March 11, 2021. https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/selling-foreign-rights-and-pitching-at-book-fairs/.
The International Literary Market Place. https://www.literarymarketplace.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp.