Like many of you reading this, I am an author with aspirations.
My number one goal is to one day be earning enough money from my writing that it can replace my day job. It’ll be just me, my laptop, and the magical universe pouring out of my imagination into book form. This is a dream I’m sure many of you share!
But a dream without knowledge, planning and industry insight remains forever this – a dream. I won’t settle for this, and neither should you.
Below is a handy compilation of some of my favourite resources that offer advice, support, community, courses, or services specifically designed to take your author business to the next level!
Joanna Penn is an author, podcaster, and entrepreneur who helps authors write, publish, and market their books. Her website is bursting with content; she provides a plethora of resources for the best writing, editing, publishing, and marketing software for writers, plus in-depth tutorials on how to use them. The popular Creative Penn Podcast is now at over 700 episodes and is a great source of information and inspiration on writing, publishing, book marketing, and making a living with your writing. In addition to this, Joanna has also written a number of books on writing, publishing, and marketing, AI, and audiobooks.
Self Publishing Formula was created by Mark Dawson, a bestselling self-published author, to help aspiring authors self-publish their books. Most well known for their popular courses Advertising for Authors and Self Publishing Launchpad, Mark and co-host James Blatch provide lots of value in their weekly podcast featuring interviews with successful authors and industry experts. The SPF community thrives in various Facebook groups, where authors can connect and support each other. This culminates each year with the annual conference in the heart of London for likeminded authors to connect and learn from the biggest names in the industry.
Kindlepreneur is the creation of Dave Chesson, with the goal of giving authors everything they need to “take action and see results”. Having worked for years with publishing companies, Dave has collected all of his knowledge and shared it with us in the form of courses, tools, articles, videos and guides. As an expert on Amazon categories and keywords, he created the tool Publisher Rocket to make it easier for authors to position their books and sell more in the Kindle store. You may have also heard of his writing and formatting platform, Atticus, which is a rising star in the industry. Dave is also the host of the podcast, The Book Marketing Show, which includes interviews with some of the biggest names in the self-publishing world.
Written Word Media is a book marketing hub – a company that helps self-published authors promote their books. They offer various services, including email promotions, promo stacks, Facebook and Amazon ads, and more. In addition to promotion services, Written Word Media offers resources to help authors learn about the self-publishing process, such as writing tips, marketing guides, and publishing tutorials. They also have a community of authors who can connect with, learn from and support each other.
BookBub is one of the leading services for authors to promote free and discounted books while helping readers discover eBooks by recommending deals and new releases to its enormous mailing list. BookBub is best used when you have a backlist or a series of at least three books to encourage read-through and continued sales. It can be difficult to get a BookBub deal, but most authors will agree that when done properly, they see a large boost in book downloads. It is especially effective when used in conjunction with other promotional activities and can help create a huge uplift in sales.
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David Gaughran is a historical fiction author who has helped tens of thousands of authors to self-publish their work via his workshops, blog, and various books on marketing, building fans and creating ads. His blog provides a variety of resources and services for authors, including self-publishing guides, book marketing tips and articles on a variety of topics such as productivity, creativity, and overcoming writer’s block. His free weekly newsletter is also well worth signing up for if you’d like inspiration to arrive straight to your inbox.
Jane Friedman’s excellent and extensive resources cater to both the traditionally published author and the self-published author, so everyone is sure to find something of value on her site, whether this is within her extensive blog, her online courses, or her books on writing and publishing. Her free newsletter, Electric Speed, provides digital media resources for creative people, while her paid newsletter, The Hot Sheet, delivers publishing industry insights for authors.
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a non-profit, global community advocating for and empowering self-published authors. Their membership gives you access to diverse services such as education, support, advocacy, expertise, and inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned self-publisher or just starting your journey, ALLi offers a supportive environment, valuable resources, and a powerful voice to help you navigate the self-publishing landscape with confidence.
Most book promotion sites target multiple genres, but there’s great benefit to be found in niching down and focusing on your target audience. Book Barbarian, Red Roses Romance, and Book Adrenaline – all run by the same company – help you achieve that by targeting fantasy and sci-fi readers, romance readers, and mystery/thriller readers respectively. You can submit a free or discounted book to these unique genre specialists.
I hope you found this lineup beneficial and use some of these resources to help you find success with your author business.
Amy Holmes writes romantasy new adult fiction under a mysterious pen name. When not writing, listening to excellent music and feeding her gym addiction, Amy can also be found somewhere in Milton Keynes, UK, coordinating the ARC and Beta projects for The Niche Reader.
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Join our email list for content and opportunities to help you develop your writing, promote your books, and build your author business.