What are
/r/selfpublishing's
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/selfpublishing:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/selfpublishing:
Reedsy
Calendly
Google Fonts
Electron
Font Squirrel
Upwork
Gumroad
calibre
Scribus
The most popular reviews in /r/selfpublishing:
Yeah here’s the link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWSZNLW/
And thanks 😊 . I talked a lot about my book on subreddits related to the topic like the aromantic thread. And just asking for help about my book cover and stuff got people interested in my book or asking for help about the book blurb. So mostly just engaging in Reddit helped me. Tumblr also helped me when I posted about my book or quotes. I also started a blog where I would share quotes about my blog and just write topics to bring attention to my site. I think what majorly helped was having a landing page on my blog site for the book because people would end up on it a lot- my stats show that it was the highest page visited.
Have you had a look at Gumroad? https://gumroad.com/
I made my book available through them and they've been great: https://gumroad.com/l/30-days-to-freelance-book
Not sure they handle bitcoin though...
How about hosting the book on your own website and then taking payments and dealing with translations there?
Always good to have an out. lol
I'm looking forward to reading it, and will be sure to leave a review.
If you ever get a chance to check out my book, please do the same.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LR37H9D
Congrats again on your achievement!
Yes!
Download Kindle Create and play around with it. You'll see how it works for you.
(shameless self-promotion, here's a link to my latest book, I wrote the text on a google document then pasted it all to Kindle Create and tada! Except the cover...)
Details: The book is cut in half and each page are fun quotables by 2 computer systems in nostalgic reflection. One is rugged(Memphis Megahertz) and cyberpunk/spaghetti western in nature whilst the other (Kansas City Fractal) is traditional and emotional Vaporwave tech nostalgia and pre internet nostalgia stylings. Here is a free PDF "Shareware" copy of the book to take a preview at....
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FkK0NRe59EK2Chnw-lid6UToX3jweiKD/view?usp=sharing
The Amazon link for the physical copy is here. Thank you! The Amazon product link just launched so it's not fully compiled, the book description is all there and stuff though. I literally just pressed the PUBLISH button so yeah. Cool! Any reviews would seriously and immensely help as well. Thank you!
Applies to fiction and non fiction. Looks like is $6.50 on Amazon. We’ll worth it. The book is huge and covers everything you can think of.
My first book and it is probably horrible. I'm terrified to even have published it honestly. It's free if you have kindle unlimited
Thank you for the interest! The book is called “A Masquerade of Blood and Smoke: Masks of Deception” and it is avaible on Amazon. Here’s the synopsis:
In a world divided by a constant battle between demons and humans, the deeds of the villains are narrated. Two hundred years after the closure of the gates of Hell, the Great Demon of Deception wants to return to Diyu, but to do this, he must kill the heirs of the 7 human clans. The lost heir of the former Sun clan joins forces with the Demon of Deception in search of revenge, but lies lie on their tongues. Will they get stuck in their web of deceit? Or will they find a glimpse of the truth? What will happen? Will they succeed, or will humans prevail?
Here’s the book in case anyone can help me work out kindle length… https://www.amazon.co.uk/Along-Ride-touring-adventure-toddler-ebook/dp/B0BHRH41QR/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2FFXZDS64UOW1&keywords=rachel+esbee&qid=1665481307&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjE5IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=%2Caps...
My first book is about to take off!
The King of Awakening
Dive into the adventure of Dennis Cutler, a young Saxon warrior from the Middle Ages who makes a vow to save Europe from society’s darkest forces.
Author: Derek Martic Langdon
Genre: Dark fantasy
Language: English only (United Kingdom)
Release date: November 15, 2022
This book is NOT recommended for people under the age of 18
The marketing campaign is being run by the Savvy Book Marketing agency.
Pre-order now on Amazon Kindle for just $4.99 usd
Not to mention I look daily at different designs.
Particularly this series because it carries the correct tone:
I also don't want to illustrate the books because there is so much photography.
But you continue to be an ass.
Robin loves his job. Living at The Majestic Cinema, his uncle's movie theatre in the heart of Launceston, means endless free movies and a lifelong career. Even the quiet, lonely nights seem to be over when he meets a budding actress, the vivaciously romantic Evelyn.
But the Majestic has a secret, sordid past that refuses to be forgotten. On one terrifying night, Robin and his friends discover a debt must be paid - a reprisal of blood, fire and death.
A night at the movies - who will survive?
Pre-order now: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0645462705/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_HAWHCE3P4CYGZ0P311XP
I did my cover myself.
It's more rewarding, if you know how. Most importantly, it costs $0 and some time.
My logic is, if you can't draw or make good art, go with minimalism. Tell enough with the least possible.
Less is more, sometimes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09T1SPMNJ
For reference. I am pretty pleased with the result.
The software I used is adobe photoshop.
Filter gallery + camera raw filter + some blending options.
If you can afford a professional artist, then 100% go with that. If not, get creative and start learning to DIY.
I hired a painter for the art on my covers (all three of them), and then a separate designer to put the actual art and text together. However, the designer is also a talented graphic artist. Send me a message with your email and I’ll pass it on to her. You can speak directly. Link to my book below so you can see the cover.
https://www.amazon.com/Avtandils-Quest-Knight-Panther-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B09J37JVMX/
The chances of a font owner discovering that your self-published book used their font without paying for a license is honestly very unlikely. BUT why put yourself in that position, and why steal from intellectual-property holders? It is so easy to find open-source fonts that meet any typography need. Anything on Google Fonts or Open Foundry can be downloaded and used freely. Any font that has a "SIL Open Font" license is free to use however you like.
Hello and congrats on your writing journey. Having self-published a number of books and helping hundreds through the process, I do have some things for you to think about...
"Testing the waters" is not going to work very well if you don't have a large following and haven't done any marketing or received publicity for your book. You mention you don't have money for ads either, so how will you drive traffic to your book? I would hate to have you get discouraged because your book is not selling when you haven't really given it a chance.
I don't recommend skimping on the cover art. If you have great skills then that is wonderful. But, you can get a good cover starting as little as $25.
It is good to get beta readers to provide you feedback, but don't skip the professional edit. Once again, that's an area that takes a good book to a great book if you have the right editor.
The most important thing for you to focus on right now is building your following, joining groups with like-minded authors in your genre and get your social media and web site set up so you can start collecting email addresses and sharing your journey with others.
I wish you the best! I do offer a free consult for those looking for help with self-publishing. You can schedule time with me at: https://calendly.com/april-cox/free-consult
April
I removed the previous post to add more images.
I'm rebranding this children's book cover to increase engagement.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0952BJSF3
There are massive grids of lines of runway and camp grips left from this facility sprawling most of the southern Mohave Desert that look almost like the Nazca lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w71tF61qCE&ab\_channel=Ldighera
I want to tie it in more to the mysteries of the regions because the Mohave is also often affiliated with UFO activity.
I removed the previous post to add more images.
I'm rebranding this children's book cover to increase engagement.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0952BJSF3
There are massive grids of lines of runway and camp grips left from this facility sprawling most of the southern Mohave Desert that look almost like the Nazca lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w71tF61qCE&ab\_channel=Ldighera
I want to tie it in more to the mysteries of the regions because the Mohave is also often affiliated with UFO activity.
The book is published! For anyone who is facing this issue, the answer is much simpler than what was suggested to me. I simply took down the blog post. That worked. Here is the link to the book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NJ1CLTH?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Why won't you try Reedsy.com then? It's a place of many very experienced professionals in the author/writing/ books.
Also I don't understand line by line. Dont you actually mean line edit? or copy edit? or proofread in fact?
Multi-media features like sound are not really part of the e-book specification. Although eBooks are basically html, eBook readers don't have the capabilities of modern web browsers and will not interpret JavaScript or audio/video. If you are interested in making an eBook with sound and narration, then, you really don't want to make an eBook. It sounds like you want to make (insert air quotes here) an "application". Or app for short.
Generally an app will give you a lot more flexibility over a traditional eBook in terms of page layout and multi-media features. But creating an app, would require an app developer. If you are willing to hire a developer, Electron.js, for example is a framework that allows you to build a cross platform app using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. There are tools that would allow you to use the same code base in Electron to create apps for Android and iOS as well.
The Eternal Flame: Book One in The Soultapping Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/1087997720/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_XWES5KJ6N7VTW4747B6F
This is the link to the paperback copies on Amazon ^
If you love fiery and strong female protagonists, elemental and soul based magic, and a modern take on fantasy with symbolism of life, death, and grief thrown in, you’ll love my book!
Thank you guys again for all the love! Truly a dream come true 🥰
The Eternal Flame: Book One in The Soultapping Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/1087997720/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1S2THSBQJDACWWXW0HMH
I’m not sure if anyone who commented will come back to this post, but… I’M OFFICIALLY A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!! At nineteen years old today, I’ve officially self published my YA Urban Fantasy book to Amazon! The link I’ve pasted will lead you to the paperback copy but you can also get an Ebook version if you want. I would love for you to check it out and read it. I’m so excited to share this story with all of you guys, and thanks for the support! :) P.S. I’ve been bursting with ideas for the sequel 😉
I published a graphic novel on there recently and I'm very happy with the quality. It took a few tries to get the formatting correct with the bleeds and margins, but once I figured that out the uploading process from there was pretty easy.
Link to the book
Have you ever seen a Black god?
You can find two in my first book as an Editor, Pure Black: Humanity, an all-Black creation-fantasy with beautiful, full page illustrations! Check it out at: https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Black-Humanity-Mahalia-Hooker-ebook/dp/B0996287MS
(Also available on Apple Books, Google Books, and Barnes & Nobles)
I suggest Fiverr! I recently had a children’s picture book self published using KDP. I’m not a formatting pro and I thought it would be a bit tricky with the illustrations. Lots of options in terms of users who format specifically for IngramSpark, Kindle Direct Publishing, Lulu, etc. The person did a really nice job and it was very affordable.
Edit: obligatory plug for the book! https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Betty-Spoo-Shelby-Gerba/dp/1737644517/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+adventures+of+betty+the+spoo&qid=1628085587&sprefix=the+adventures+of+betty+the+s&sr=8-1
Are you asking if you should wait a year to release the sequel? No, don't wait at all -- the sooner the sequel is available, the sooner you can have readers buy both books! If you have two books available then for every new reader you get, you've doubled the possible sales you'll get, because if they like one book they're very likely to buy the other (and any others in the series that you write in the future). So release them both whenever they're ready and make sure to link the books together so readers can easily jump from one to the other.
There are two e-books that are both free on Amazon.com right now that I recommend you get and read: Successful Self-Publishing by Joanna Penn goes through how to publish the book and some about how to market it; and How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet will give you more ideas for marketing. Since you already have the cover art, you can definitely get your book out there without spending another penny, and there are some low-cost ways to get exposure for your book and hopefully get some sales.
Honestly if you need help getting this stuff set up (like turning your manuscript into an ebook or getting it up for sale through KDP), I'd be happy to help you out for free as well. Send me a chat or message and we can figure things out -- or if you think you've got it or maybe just want to start with those books, go for it. Best of luck to you.
The cover looks like a serious adult nonfiction title.
Is there any sort of museum at the location? If we’re being honest here, I can’t imagine this selling anywhere except at a place like that.
Also, your description just kind of ends. It needs either a call to action or one last paragraph or SOMETHING to make it seem fun. Kids aren’t going to read something unless it’s fun or crazy interesting. Take a successful kid book with a similar subject (ww2) and look at what they did. For example https://www.amazon.com/Spies-Code-Breakers-Secret-Agents/dp/164611101X even I want to buy that book now
These are great tips!
I would add to ensure your title is descriptive. Many authors are including more than just the title in their books. Our series (I'm the editor and graphic designer for my partner's books) have the title and some descriptive keywords to help readers find them.
Also include both print and e-book. Digital books are increasing and it would be a lost opportunity not to do so (plus it's incredibly easy on Amazon).
Best of luck with your book!
Hey, thanks for the reply!
Can you check this example: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern-ebook/dp/B004J4WKTW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+night+circus&qid=1616404724&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
I'm using an example of a traditionally published book (The Night Circus) which has both kindle and hardcover versions (you can look at any other book, I think it would be the same). The link above is to the ebook, and there is no "also bought" section, but when you click on the hard cover, it quickly shows up. So maybe ebooks don't have that section?
You can, but I will echo what u/ActualType said.
In addition, you can browse the categories on Amazon to see what is published in short reads (less than 1hr, less than 30mins), and gather their details such as page count. I agree that you would want something 20+ pages. It provides a decent enough read time and "value." I will be taking this route for stories that aren't picked up. I have one that is 25 pages, and I will self-publish with my inspiration of such a journey being Tor Books as they publish individual short stories. Here are a two as an example:
(i) Please note that these are not my stories and I am not affiliated with Tor Books, nor their author's.
While these are examples from a publishing house — who also puts up many of these short stories for free on their blog as I've read Beyond the Dragon's Gate on the blog, and purchased the short story later — there are some other self-published examples to review.
For myself, for stories not queried or accepted, I will self-publish. If it's less than 20 pages, then I will do an anthology as previously suggested.
*By self-publish, I meant e-book, and audiobook only. For print, there is a page count limitation, and I believe KDP is 24 pages. It may be best to have an anthology or a novella for something of that nature.
Edit: Spelling
Awesome thank you! I picked up a copy to check out. Sounds like a fun story to read over the holidays. :D
I've been researching the wiki here and watching a lot of YouTube videos for tips on marketing. I really appreciate you sharing your process.
For me I posted here and on r/nanowrimo since I wrote my book as part of the challenge. I figured it would be a good way to inspire and share information with new writers like myself. I've been using Amazon's marketing, Facebook ads, and sharing on Twitter as well.
Today I set up my author page on Amazon, which I realized was a thing after seeing your book's page, and am working to flesh out my Goodreads profile as well.
Here's a link to my story as well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LR37H9D
Again thank you for sharing, I am always happy to learn and find a new author to follow.
I saved this thread as I was yet to publish.
Here is my novel if you’re still interested in reading. I am hoping to receive as much feedback as possible.
Thank you for the consideration.
I'm new in the "writing for publishing" world and just put a short story on Amazon. If you have Kindle Unlimited is free on there.
It's a Halloween-themed short story (2k words) about Jack and his pumpkin head, that went missing. He has to talk to the suspects and retrieve the stolen pumpkin before evening comes: Where is my head?
Very cool. I hope you find some hidden indie gems!
My book is a memoir, and contains some pretty challenging subject matter, so perhaps not your thing, but maybe you know someone who would enjoy it. 🙂
Hey there,
If you feel like escaping the pall of misery which is 2020, into an even more desperate and chaotic future, the first book of my sci-fi dystopia series Land of the Free (America 2052 Book 1) is available on a free promotion for a few more hours.
OVERVIEW: North America, 2052. From the economic ashes of the Zero Day rises the Federated States of America. Its hawkish president, Clancey White, wants to rebuild his country as the world's dominant superpower. His plan: invade the Republic of Texas after securing a deal with Texas' key ally, the Russian-run Utopiate of California.
Miles away from the White House, on the wrong side of Chicago, a talented young criminal named Raze struggles for survival. His life is a daily dance with death among the forgotten masses of America's underclass. One day, Raze receives a call from an enigmatic figure promising riches for taking care of a "delivery" job. The gig sounds lucrative, but completing it will be tougher than anything he has done before. It will require defying the will of a president, and outwitting the most formidable administration America has ever known.
Welcome to the Land of the Free.
That's great! Here's mine. Just published in July. Just $3 on Kindle.
Hi! I'm actually an editor, but here's the first book of a series I've been editing! If you like fantasy with a twist of Arthurian Legend, this is for you!
Yes! You rock!! Thank you!!! 😃I cannot wait to hear what you think of it! Here is a link to preorder: https://www.amazon.com/Mar-King-Nicolette-Beebe-ebook/dp/B08BKXFMR3/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mar+king+beebe&qid=1595681739&sr=8-1
A teaser for it is coming out August 1 st!! If you sign up for the newsletter, you can see it today!
I normally post updates on Instagram @33nbeebe if you are interested!!
Ok...look at this listing, easiest to see on a desktop browser: https://www.amazon.com/Testaments-Novel-Margaret-Atwood/dp/0385543786
You see how right at the top, just next to the cover image, there are buttons for the different versions...Kindle, Audible, Hardcover, etc. but no matter which selection you make, it still says there are 6,622 reviews, because even though they're technically all different products, Amazon recognizes that they are different formats of the SAME product.
Okay, now look at your listing: https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Want-Be-YouTuber-ebook/dp/B082BH6X9Q
See how you have the same buttons to select which format, but only for Kindle and Paperback? So once you publish the hardback, you get the 3rd button for hardback next to the other 2.
Amazon should pick it up and sync them automatically after a week or so based on the metadata (title, author name, etc.) but if they don't just contact KDP support and ask them to merge the listings.
I've published two ebooks through Amazon:
A collection of short stories and the first of an ongoing series.
Both are still pretty deep under the radar. So if anyone does read them, a review, even "negative" one, would really help. In fact, any constructive criticism would be appreciated.
One of the best book cover designers is Tatia Vila at Viladesign.net Great covers and low cost. Look at the cover she did for my book. I am sure that the cover itself helped to generate sales. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Plato-Students-Socratic-Dialogues-ebook/dp/B01I5GAIJI
I also have looked at hiring editors and totally understand the cost frustration.
I hired a graphic artist to develop my cover for $100 - I knew what I wanted it to look like so he was on a pretty tight leash. But still, I sent it back for minor tweaks 2x (mostly for color tinge). I've read of people just using fiverr.com
As for editing; the cheapest way is to take advantage of reddit and/or the Internet. Get small samples edited then learn/analyze what they've done and why. Read editing books, like The Elements of Style. Go back and re-write.
Or just pay your friend $300 and hope for the best. Your first novel won't be making money unless you put a lot of marketing behind it anyways which will also cost $$$.
Good luck!
We're using Create Space as a pretty good all-rounder and free to set up. We're looking at other options to expand into physical stores but for now the sells are like comparing eggs with eggs. I'll check out the wiki and any information can be useful. This is the UK page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Songs-other-feline-favourites/dp/1977837441, any feedback is welcome :).
Thank you. I've been doing a lot of blog exposure this week. I've been joining book clubs on Facebook as well getting it up on Amazon>The Flying Mouse and Twitter
If you have suffered one of these ankle injuries; ankle sprains, ankle fractures, achilles tendinopathy, peroneal tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis and shin splints. Then, this book is for you! In this book, we show you how to evaluate, treat and rehab your injury effectively and quickly. We also provide weekly and daily conditioning tasks to help you return your fitness to normal, ensuring you a smooth transition back to your sport or hobby. UK Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074PDRJ28 US Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074PDRJ28
So many reasons. Aside from the quality of the content, most issues come down to marketing. Do you know the book on marketing a book? https://www.amazon.com/1001-Ways-Market-Books-World-ebook/dp/B01LXAK729/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490965601&sr=1-1&keywords=1001+ways+to+market+your+books
I'm a freelance editor and Louise Harnby's books have been extremely valuable. https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Your-Editing-Proofreading-Business/dp/1491263679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476239307&sr=8-1&keywords=louise+harnby
Are you in the US? The EFA is a great resource. I'm also a member of several editor's groups on Facebook that are great.
why 99c? Angry Man Pounded By The Fear Of His Latent Gayness Over A Dinosaur Transitioning Into A Unicorn costs $3 on Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Pounded-Gayness-Dinosaur-Transitioning-Unicorn-ebook/dp/B00YSLQEVG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
I recently put my first book up on Kindle for $2.99. This is the lowest amount you can put it up for and still get the 70% royalties. Anything lower is 30%. I see you plan to use smashmouth, but most authors I spoke to said at least 95% of their online sales come from amazon. About 3% from iBooks, and 2% from other sources.
People trust amazon as a company and when you are brand new with no followers (like myself) teaming up with a well establish company can help.
Def get custom art. Get indie gamer artists since they tend to have an eye for what will appeal to your demographic. Look out for forums. If you are near a university make fliers.
I used wix to build a website where I blog, leave information about my upcoming work and contact me. Also links to all my social media. I think it is a good idea to have a central location as well and wix is really easy to use and maintain.
All this being said I am brand new at this as well. Book only went on sale three days ago. I have 15 sales from using pretty much the same approach you seem to be going with. Good luck with everything and update me with a reply if you have released already. Did these strategies work for you?