KC Ryan
It took years for me to take the plunge to become an Independent Author. But, when I finally decided, I was all in! I gave myself a six-week deadline, scrounged for a few hundred bucks, and started my research.
I was pleased to find a plethora of information waiting for me but quickly became overwhelmed with where to start. I wanted to not only get a book out into the world but also start a business as an independent author. I listened to audiobooks and podcasts, read articles, and took a free online course. The information was out there, but my brain couldn't take it in. I designed a series of graphic organizers, task lists, calendars and other tools to help me make decisions, prioritize, and organize a marketing plan to go along with my launch. This planner moved me from collecting information to taking action. I know I am not the only author on this journey, so in a few weeks, I'm going to release a polished version of The Self-Publishing Planner!
Resources I Loved
I looked at so many resources, and there are still plenty for me to explore. So far, I've found the following the most helpful.
By far my favorite and most helpful resources came from this site.
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Successful Self-Publishing by Joanna Penn (I listened to it on Audible)
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How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn (Another Audible listen)
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Author 2.0 Blueprint (A free resource from her email sign up)
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The Creative Penn Podcast
I did the free stuff on this site, but I plan on going back to take the paid course as part of my ongoing learning.
Alliance of Independent Authors Self-Publishing Advice Center
This site has so many good free resources you can trust. I also enjoyed the Ask Alli: Self-Publishing Advice Podcast.
*Beware of the some the books out there about how to self publish or how to get your book on Amazon. I wasted both time and money on a few of these. Be sure to view the samples and read the reviews.
