#IndieAuthorFringe Getting help with your Self-Publishing Journey@jayartale bit.ly/2mG0b4y Share on X
An ongoing challenge for indie authors is choosing the best available self-publishing services, from the large distributors like Amazon KDP or Apple iBooks down to the right designer, editor and marketing approach for each title. ALLi offers assistance with this key decision through our Partner Member facility, Watchdog Desk, vetted services and regularly updated publication, Choosing A Self-Publishing Service. And we thank the sponsors of today's Fringe who have allowed us to keep it free to all authors.
We've reached the end of our first Indie Author Fringe of 2017, and after 24-hours of invaluable indie author advice, you're probably feeling overwhelmed.
You received tips and advice for successful indie authors and self-publishing professionals shedding light on questions that were on the tip of your tongue, but they probably also raised more questions on topics you hadn't even considered.
Don't worry. It's natural to feel overwhelmed, but here at ALLi we won't just leave you hanging. We're here to offer guidance and support to help you along your self-publishing path. We post a new article on our blog on a daily basis, and will be bringing you another Indie Author Fringe event on June 3rd that will focus on marketing and promoting your book to help you reach more readers.
One of the key decisions you need to make in your self-publishing journey is how to choose the self-publishing services to help you achieve your indie author goals. Just because it's called “self-publishing” doesn't mean you have to do it all yourself. Far from it, you should focus on your strengths; writing and whatever other skills you have. For everything else you should engage the skills of a self-publishing service provider of professional to give your book it's best start in life.
“No wonder aspiring authors feel overwhelmed. They must make their self-publishing choices in an environment where the same service can cost $500 or $15,000 depending on where you shop. Where companies understate the challenges of writing and publishing well and overstate the value of ineffective services.” Orna Ross “How to Choose a Self-Publishing Service”
So what's the solution?
ALLi Watchdog Desk
ALLi Watchdog: John Doppler
One of the valuable services that ALLi offers is the Watchdog Desk which monitors the self-publishing industry in two ways.
- We have a Partner Membership for services which align with our Code of Standards and go through a vetting process.
- We identify rogue services which overcharge, over-promise, under-deliver, or in any way exploit authors.
The ratings on our Service Rating page are the opinion of the Watchdog Desk. Ratings are based on careful appraisals of multiple criteria, including pricing and value, quality of service, contract terms and rights, transparency, accountability, and customer satisfaction. For more information on author services, and to learn how to appraise any service yourself, please see our book, How to Choose A Self-Publishing Service.
ALLi Self-Publishing Service Directory
If you haven't already received a copy of our 2017 ALLi Self-Publishing Service Directory you can download your free copy from BookFunnel. Not only does it include some of our ALLi Partners, it has a series of articles that cover each step of the self-publishing journey.
ALLi's How to Choose a Self-Publishing Service
This is one of the most popular and widely regarding ALLi How To guides. It explains the difference between retailers, distributors, assisted self-publishing, agent-assisted self-publishing, partnership publishing, author cooperatives, crowdsourced publishing, and trade publishing.
Whether you're focused on ebooks, print books, or audio, this guide provides you with a summary of your path-to-market options.
There are sharks out there in the literary waters… This Guide gives you all the skills and information you need to comparison shop — and if you are planning on successfully self-publishing, comparison shopping is essential.” ~ Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware.
This author guide book:
- Defines the questions you need to ask, whether you plan to go direct, use trade publishing as a service, or hire an full-package assisted service.
- Tells you the good and bad signs to look for
- Rates the most significant services, Amazon, Apple, IngramSpark, Kobo, Nook and other providers
- Offers ALLi’s Code of Standards against which all services are rated.
- Evaluates some of the emerging pathways to publication, including author co-operatives, crowdsourcing, agent assisted self-publishing, digital imprints and “hybrid” publishing models.
It provides everything you need to know to harness the creative power and potential of self-publishing, and empowers you to make informed decisions about your indie author journey.
Indie Author Fringe Sponsor Discounts
Our Indie Author Fringe event is Free for everyone to attend, and that's due to the support of our event sponsors. So we want to give a special “Thanks” to all of them for helping make Indie Author Fringe possible, and here's a recap of the discounts they're offering conference attendees.
Click to visit IngramSpark's website
Click to visit BookBaby's website
Click here to enter the giveaway on Jane Friedman's Session
Click to visit Reedy's website
Click to visit Type & Tell's website
And not forgetting:
Visit Kobo's sponsor page
Visit their session to download Draft2Digital's free PDF “Author Marketing 101”
Visit Written Word Media's sponsor page
Interested in Joining ALLi?
ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors, is a non-profit professional association for authors who self-publish. Our alliance offers connection and collaboration, advice and education, advocacy and representation to writers who want to self-publish well. ALLi’s mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing. Our motto is Working together to help each other.
Founded by Orna Ross, a trade-published author turned indie, ALLi launched at London Book Fair 2012 and has quickly grown to have thousands of members and followers, all over the world. Our members help each other to publish well and sell books in different territories.
We offer many Member-Only Benefits, including a closed online forum, author guides, seminars and events, a popular blog and author advice centre for the wider indie-author community, and a discounts and deal program for members.
Click here for hundreds of testimonials from our members
Join Us
If you’re an author who self-publishes or would like to, or an author service willing to go through a vetting process, we’d love you to JOIN US. Together we’re stronger.
