Self-publishing Author Advice about the art and craft of writing great books
“Surround yourself with other indie authors who are reaching for the same things you are,” advises award-winning novelist Steena Holmes, whose novel Finding Emma has sold over 100,000 copies and earned her a three-book deal with Amazon. What’s the secret of your success? My readers. They fell in love with Finding Emma, a book I […]
Over the last year and a half, a mother and two daughters have written a novel together, collaboratively, in an almost entirely egalitarian fashion. “Somehow all three of us are still alive,” says Amira Makansi, one of the three writers who makes up K. Makanski. We invited her over to tell us how this three-in-one […]
“I’d definitely recommend writing a series to hook readers.” Liliana Hart talks about the writing and publishing strategies that have seen her sell more than a million books since she started self-publishing in June of 2011. What’s the secret of your success? Hard work and having new books out on a consistent basis. I write all […]
What if you could promote your books simply by telling stories? It seems like a natural fit – you’re a storyteller, after all. That was the concept that got Kathy Meis thinking and brought her to create Bublish. Now an ALLi Partner Member, Kathy explains how it works. Behind every story you write for your books […]
Drawing on her own success story, indie author Dianne Greenlay explains why she thinks all self-published writers should try using Wattpad to increase the discoverability of their books. Last weekend, my novel, Quintspinner – A Pirate’s Quest, surpassed the incredible number of a half a million “reads” on Wattpad, the free online app connecting writers […]
“Write as if nobody will read it; publish as if everyone will read it.” Hugh Howey talks about the writing and publishing strategies that have made him one of the world’s bestselling self-publishing authors. * What’s the secret of your success? The biggest advantage I had as an aspiring writer was my prior experience as […]
ALLi blog editor Debbie Young tests the online service Grammarly as a potential proofreading tool for indie authors. As an avid reader of self-published books, I know how galling it is to have the flow of a good story interrupted by typos and grammatical errors. Yet as an indie author, I understand the temptation to bypass […]
“I apply bum glue!” Bob Mayer talks about the writing and publishing strategies that have made him one of the world’s bestselling indie authors who has also enabled many other author-publishers to succeed, through his imprint Gool Gus. What’s the secret of your success? I was traditionally published for 20 years. What I did there […]
A number of ALLi advisors and members, including Joanna Penn, Alison Baverstock, and Jane Dixon-Smith are making their way to Manchester in August, to take part in The Guardian Masterclass in Self-publishing (August 4th). I’m going to be talking about Writing Creative Fiction and Nonfiction. The title of that workshop always leads somebody to ask first, what is […]
“My novel Disposable People became the first self-published book to win a major prize.” Jamaican indie author Ezekel Alan shares the story of his groundbreaking achievement. What’s the secret of your success? I wouldn’t as yet consider myself successful, but I hope I am getting there. Winning the Commonwealth Book Prize Regional Award gave my […]