A curated collection of resources for indie authors who want to self-publish their books. Covers everything from writing and editing to formatting, distribution, marketing, and beyond.
Contributing: This is a living document. If you know a great resource that's missing, open a PR!
- Writing Tools
- Editing and Proofreading
- Book Formatting
- Cover Design
- ISBN and Copyright
- Distribution Platforms
- Print-on-Demand
- Marketing and Promotion
- Email Lists and Newsletters
- Communities and Forums
- Podcasts and YouTube
- Books About Self-Publishing
The right writing tool can make a big difference in your workflow. Here are the most popular options for indie authors:
| Tool | Best For | Price | Export Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrivener | Long-form fiction, research-heavy projects | $49 one-time | ePub, PDF, DOCX, MOBI |
| TaleForge | Multi-format writing (novels, screenplays, webtoons), collaboration | Free tier available | ePub, PDF, multiple formats |
| Google Docs | Simple projects, real-time collaboration | Free | DOCX, PDF |
| Atticus | Writing + formatting in one tool | $147 one-time | ePub, PDF |
| LibreOffice Writer | Budget-friendly Word alternative | Free/Open Source | DOCX, ODT, PDF |
| Ulysses | Distraction-free writing (Mac/iOS) | $5.99/mo | DOCX, PDF, ePub |
| yWriter | Scene-based novel writing | Free | RTF, TXT |
- Distraction-free mode — Full-screen, minimal UI for flow states
- Organization — Chapter/scene management, not just one long document
- Export flexibility — Can it output to the formats your distributor needs?
- Backup — Cloud sync or auto-backup to prevent data loss
- Word count tracking — Daily goals, project totals, session counts
Never publish without editing. Budget for at least one round of professional editing if possible.
- Developmental editing — Big-picture story structure, character arcs, pacing
- Line editing — Sentence-level style, voice, and flow
- Copy editing — Grammar, punctuation, consistency, fact-checking
- Proofreading — Final pass for typos and formatting errors
- Reedsy — Vetted freelance editors (and other publishing pros)
- Editorial Freelancers Association — Professional directory
- Fiverr — Budget options (vet carefully)
- Beta readers first — Get free feedback from beta readers before paying for editing
- ProWritingAid — Deep style and grammar analysis ($20/mo or $399 lifetime)
- Grammarly — Good for grammar basics (free tier available)
- Hemingway Editor — Readability and sentence complexity (free online)
- AutoCrit — Fiction-specific editing analysis
Proper formatting is crucial for a professional reading experience.
- Calibre — Free, open-source ebook management and conversion
- Vellum — Beautiful formatting, Mac only ($249.99)
- Atticus — Cross-platform alternative to Vellum ($147)
- TaleForge — Export directly to ePub with formatting presets
- Kindle Create — Free tool from Amazon for Kindle formatting
- Sigil — Free, open-source ePub editor for manual control
- Adobe InDesign — Industry standard ($22.99/mo)
- Affinity Publisher — One-time purchase alternative ($69.99)
- Book Design Templates — BookDesignTemplates.com
- Reedsy Book Editor — Free online tool with print export
- ePub 3 — Current standard for most retailers
- KF8/KPF — Kindle's proprietary format (use Kindle Create)
- PDF — For print-ready files (embed fonts, use CMYK for color)
- Trim sizes: 5"×8", 5.5"×8.5", and 6"×9" are most common for fiction
Your cover sells your book. Don't skimp here.
- 99designs — Design contests starting at $299
- Reedsy — Vetted professional designers
- The Book Cover Designer — Pre-made covers from $50
- SelfPubBookCovers — Pre-made and custom options
- Canva — Easy templates (use with caution — avoid looking generic)
- Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator — Professional results if you have design skills
- GIMP — Free Photoshop alternative
- Book Brush — Cover mockups and marketing images
- Study your genre's bestseller covers — match reader expectations
- Title and author name must be readable at thumbnail size
- Invest in quality stock images from sites like Depositphotos or Adobe Stock
- Get feedback from readers before finalizing
- US: Bowker — $125 for one, $295 for 10
- Canada: Library and Archives Canada — Free
- UK: Nielsen — £89 for 10
- Amazon provides free ASINs (but you can't use them elsewhere)
- Each format (ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook) needs its own ISBN
- Your work is copyrighted the moment you write it
- US authors can register at copyright.gov ($65)
- Registration provides legal benefits if you need to enforce copyright
| Platform | Royalty | Exclusivity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 35-70% | Optional (KU) | Largest market share |
| Apple Books | 70% | No | Strong in iOS ecosystem |
| Kobo | 70% | No | Popular in Canada, international |
| Barnes & Noble Press | 55-70% | No | US-focused |
| Google Play Books | 52% | No | Huge reach, lower conversion |
- Draft2Digital — Free to use, takes small percentage, wide distribution
- PublishDrive — Subscription model, 100+ stores
- StreetLib — Strong European distribution
- Smashwords (now part of Draft2Digital)
KDP Select (Exclusive to Amazon):
- Access to Kindle Unlimited (page reads = income)
- Countdown deals and free promotions
- Best for genre fiction with high read-through series
Going Wide (All Retailers):
- More income sources, less dependence on one company
- Build audience across platforms
- Better long-term strategy for most authors
- Amazon KDP Print — Free, largest reach, integrated with KDP
- IngramSpark — Wide bookstore and library distribution ($49/title setup)
- Lulu — Easy to use, good for niche/specialty books
- BookVault — UK-based, competitive pricing for European distribution
- Pre-launch (3-6 months before): Build email list, ARC team, social presence
- Launch week: Coordinate reviews, promotions, social media push
- Post-launch: Ongoing advertising, content marketing, newsletter growth
- Amazon Ads — Sponsored Products and Lockscreen ads
- Facebook/Instagram Ads — Great for building audiences
- BookBub Ads — Target readers of similar authors
- BookBub Featured Deals — Holy grail of book promotion (competitive to get)
- BookFunnel — Reader magnet delivery and cross-promotion
- StoryOrigin — Similar to BookFunnel with group promotions
- Newsletter swaps — Trade promotions with other authors
- Library outreach — Get your book into library systems
Your email list is your most valuable marketing asset. Start building it immediately.
- MailerLite — Free up to 1,000 subscribers, great for beginners
- ConvertKit — Popular with authors ($29/mo)
- Mailchimp — Free tier available, widely used
- Free prequel novella or short story
- Bonus chapter or deleted scene
- Character art or world map
- Writing craft guide related to your genre
- r/selfpublish — Active Reddit community
- KBoards — Kindle and indie publishing forums
- 20BooksTo50K — Facebook group focused on making a living from writing
- ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) — Professional association for indie authors
- The Creative Penn — Joanna Penn covers all aspects of indie publishing
- Self Publishing Formula — Mark Dawson on marketing and ads
- Sell More Books Show — Weekly indie publishing news
- The Career Author — Business side of writing
- Jenna Moreci — Writing craft and publishing advice
- Alexa Donne — Traditional and self-publishing tips
- Dale L. Roberts — Self-publishing tutorials
- Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant
- Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
- Strangers to Superfans by David Gaughran
- Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque
- How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet (Reedsy)
This resource list is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Share freely with attribution.