Dear Indie | A Journey in Self-Publishing

Do you believe in paying it forward?  When you find something that knocks down hurdles for you, do you automatically share it with others who are struggling with the same obstacles in their life?  Good, me too!

That’s why I’ve decided that at least once a week, I’m going to try to post something helpful that I’ve discovered in my journey of becoming a self-published author for the first time.  You don’t have to use it, of course, but the resource is here if you need it.  This week, I’d like to talk about the 3 most important Indie’s you’ll ever want to know (aka The Indie Trinity: Editing, Cover Art, Marketing).

When I first started weighing the pros and cons of self-publishing, my biggest con was the expense (I’m sure that’s the case at least 95% of the time).  I researched until my eyes hated me, yet everywhere I turned the money was just adding up to an excessive amount that I’d never be able to afford.  I learned something so simple, yet valuable while doing this: How to make Google give me the results I wanted.  Once I started adding the word Indie into my search criteria, it opened a whole new world of results that were better suited for my questions.  Finally, I was getting somewhere! (I’m a little slow on the uptake, sometimes lol.)

And this is when I landed smack dab in the realm of the biggest names in the Indie Community: Joanna Penn, Derek Murphy and Nick Stephenson.  Sound familiar?  If you say yes, then you’re already well on your way – if you said no, then read on, you’re going to love this.

First up, is Joanna Penn: No need to spend hours searching the internet for editors, cover artists and formatters.  Joanna has already compiled an extensive list for each type of professional you could ever need all in one place – The Creative Penn.  It’s a one-stop shopping time saver!

Next up, we have Derek Murphy, the ultimate DIY guy: Ever thought that you could do things yourself to save money?  This guy shows you how to DIY without sacrificing the professional quality.  He’s even designed a FREE online Book Cover Designing tool to go along with his many helpful guides on how to make Top Quality book covers from scratch that sell.  Check him out at DIY Book Covers

** I’m telling you, anything with videos is a bonus for me, because I’m tired of reading the same articles over and over! **

Last, but far from least is Nick Stephenson, Marketing Extraordinaire: After already shelling out hundreds to thousands of dollars just to get your book publishable, you realize that it’s not going to do you a bit of good without spending even more money on marketing.  Mr. Stephenson offers 3 Free & simple video training sessions that will change your marketing strategy forever, save you hundreds of dollars and stop you from wasting endless hours on social media getting zero results, when you should be writing!  If you want to succeed in selling your books, please check him out at Get Your First 10,000 Readers (Bonus: He’s British, so listening to him talk is no hardship, whatsoever!)

Well, friends that is all I have for this week, I hope you all find it helpful – or if you know of anyone else who might, please pass it on. Thanks & see you next week!

♥ Exciting news: I’ve sent my new novella off to the editor! What’s your most recent accomplishment or “Yay, me!” moment? Feel free to share in the comments below & have a wonderful weekend!