Hello all, I'm about to start a kickstarter campaign for my first book - a science fiction novel. I need to find a publisher. I'd like to find one that does ebooks, paperbacks and hardbacks - and (hopefully) print-on-demand.

I can see there are many to choose from: BookBaby, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, BookVault, Lula, etc.

Was wondering what people's experiences were with this outfits? Good? Bad? Mediocre? I'd love to hear about it. Realistically, I'll probably require fewer than 100 paperbacks and 50 hardbacks (we'll see) and a bunch of ebooks.

Thanks for listening!

I hope you can patiently read through this post and help me out. Thanks in advance!

So by profession I am a professor and researcher. So my published works so far are all related to my area of research.

But I also write, and when I mean write, I write a lot. I’ve been writing a blog for years now (you can find the link in my profile description). I don’t post very regularly but I have a lot of random thoughts which I like to pen down.

I also write poems. When I feel any emotion very strongly I write it as a poem.

Recently when I was trying to do some digital clutter clearing, I realised that my notes app was filled with soo many poems.

A friend suggested that I work towards publishing them.

Now my problem is that my poems are deeply personal. I am not very comfortable with people associating my name and face with my poems. So I considered a pen name.

On the other hand, I also have an idea of starting a podcast. The topics that I want to talk about on the podcast are those relating to real life issues young people face in society, because of their culture, and religion and stuff like that. For this I am ok with using my name and associating my face with it.

Again, I also have an idea of writing an autobiographical type of work (I assume it might sell well coz I think my life story is quite interesting).

Now I don’t know how to consolidate all of this.

Do I just get over myself and publish under my own name? Or do I create a pen name and split my work?

Or do you have any other ideas as to how I can better go about doing this?

I thought writing a book was going to be hard. Nope. Try producing a book. It was like a full-on training program learning about trim sizes, ISBNs, cover finishes, binding options and learning how to talk to printers. Every day after completing the book and trying to turn it into something publishable, I sat there and said to myself: I know Nothing. I learnt what layout I should rather have used; I learnt what cost money and what you can do yourself; mostly I learnt what is better to spend money on than struggling to do it yourself.

For those of you who have already published, what was the thing you knew least about when you started, and what do you wish someone had explained sooner?

If you've been running ads for a while, the search terms that brought your first sales may already be gone from the console.

Amazon keeps the search term report for roughly 65 days. After that, the data that tells you which customer searches actually sold your book disappears.

What we do now: download the search term report once a month and keep it. It's where most of our negatives and new exact keywords come from.

Do you save your old reports, or start fresh every time?

I have 40+ days to go until release and have 37 arc readers, but at my current pace i may end up around 250-300+ arc readers by the end. Any downside to letting it grow to that point?

I self published my novel last week on Amazon kdp... its fiction but I selected 6by9?? Is that bad? I also selected black and white pages...

Hi! I’m planning to self-publish my 90K-word fiction novel through Notion Press and have two questions:

1) Does Notion Press require book covers in CMYK, or are RGB files accepted? How accurate are the printed colours?

2) Notion Press seems to have a 50K-word limit for certain trim sizes, such as 5 × 8 and 5.5 × 8.5 inches. Can I still choose these sizes for my 90K-word manuscript, or am I restricted to larger trim sizes?

Would love to hear from authors who’ve published with them. Thanks!

The first work of fiction I've ever written is close to being published. Everything is new to me and no one I know has ever published any fiction.

I'm working with a group on the West Coast that is guiding me through the process for a price that is not minimal, but given the size of the work, two volumes of fiction @ 225,000 words, I don't think is unfair. Editing is included.

Book Cover, done

Blurb, done

Preface, done

Editing 125,000 word Vol I, done

3 ISBN numbers, purchased, done

Formatting for publication, reviewing the final product now

I've done no marketing. The group said that it would place the finished product 'in all the major conduits, Amazon, Google, Apple, D2D, B&N, etc.'

Here's a sticky question that I don't know how to answer. I planned to publish under a nom de plume, no problem. But the Copyright page lists my own name. Hmmm. Can the Copyright page reflect the non de plume?

Any guidance you can provide will be welcome. Any other input is also welcome since I'm groping ahead in the dark.

Looking for advice from those who don’t have a huge catalogue but have managed to break through and utilise successful marketing to get sales. Thanks 🙏

I got the first 15-20 pages. My idea is to let them read someone, get feedback and then send them the next 15 pages, till the book is finished.

I already found 2 test readers, but I want about 5-10. Are there any good ways to find them?

I’m working with a narrator on ACX, and we’re working out how I pay her for her services. I have a few concerns, and want to make sure I’m not getting scammed or anything…

She’s done the audition and the 15 minute check. As far as I can tell, she sounds like a real person with an excellent mic, but I’m not familiar enough with AI voices to know if it’s legit legit.

She’s asking for a 50% deposit now before production begins, through a wire transaction and that’s where I get a little iffy. She has given me an account and routing number to perform the wire, but the name attached to the bank account doesn’t match hers, and she claims it’s a manager. If it were through Venmo or Paypal or something, there’d be no issue. But wire? I don’t know.

$50 PFH seems too low for someone with a manager and editing team, as she states. Am I being too cautious, or would you be leery too?

So I did teasers, videos, and other stuff. Then moved on to promoting snippets from the book. Did the moment marketing stuff. Posted on relevant groups. I also promoted the Amazon reviews i got.

Now I'm thinking of familiarising or rather teasing the audience with the main characters. For example, the actions of one character is not clear till the Act 3 of the book. So if I put him across as a hero or a villian, would people be interested to know more about him? And eventually buy the book?

Sorry if it's a dumb question!

I’m currently editing my book and I’m looking for places to publish it, however my only problem is that everyone I’ve talked to strongly recommends Amazon KDP, which I’m not too comfortable with using as I’m boycotting amazon. Are there any other sites I can use that are just as easy as Amazon KDP?

Self-published authors — what stops you from having an audiobook of your book?

• Cost of commissioning narration?
• Timeline (months of waiting)?
• Audible/ACX barriers (human narration required, exclusive deals)?
• Not knowing where/if to distribute an AI-narrated version?

If price and timeline were no longer a blocker, would you produce one? What would you still hesitate on?

I’m hoping to hear from authors who have attended the Frankfurt Book Fair or worked with publishing companies offering international marketing and distribution packages.
I’ve recently learned about concerns involving companies that charge authors substantial fees for publishing, printing, marketing, and representation at major international book fairs.
Some of the arrangements reportedly involve:
Promises of guaranteed book purchases or royalty payments.
Agreements suggesting that a major book fair or international distributor has committed to purchasing inventory.
Expensive publishing packages that include exhibition space, promotional materials, and international exposure.
Books being displayed at legitimate exhibitions, but questions remaining about the quality of the finished product and whether promised distribution actually occurs.
Additional opportunities involving international investors or sponsorships.
I’ve also heard concerns about the number of authors who may have been misled through publishing-related arrangements associated with major book fairs.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with firsthand experience.
Did you receive the books and services you paid for? Were promised distribution agreements and payments honored? Did you discover that exhibition participation was different from what you were originally led to believe?
I’m particularly interested in whether anyone has successfully recovered money or reported these experiences to consumer protection authorities.
I’m not naming any companies or individuals because I’m looking for broader experiences rather than making allegations against a particular business.
Both positive and negative experiences are welcome. Thanks in advance for sharing.

I've been self publishing for almost 5 years on Amazon KDP, but today I've been listening to author/writers and beginners, they consider to publish their book on their own Website and forget about platforms, like KDP, Payhip, Lulu and others.

My take is you can do both, publish on your own Website and on other platforms.

What are your thoughts? I want to read them all.

TL;DR: Book launched Oct 4, free Kindle days Oct 6–7 stacked with Freebooksy + Fussy Librarian. Day one: 2,029 Kindle orders across 12 countries, #1 in three Kindle categories. Total promo spend: ~$95.

THE PLAN
- Book: self-help / mental models for students and young professionals). Formats: Kindle, paperback, hardcover, and Audible.
- Enrolled in KDP Select: 5 free days per 90-day period. Used 2 for Oct 6–7, timed to Prime Big Deal Days.
- Paid promos: Freebooksy (~$75, Self-Help and How-To) on Oct 6; Fussy Librarian (~$20, Non-Fiction) on Oct 7. Booked both about a week out.

WHAT I DID
- Pre-launch: Sent advance copies (draft version) to 33 friends and family ~4 weeks before launch. Asked them to review on Goodreads first, then copy the review to Amazon. Only 5 finished and reviewed. Rest are still reading.
- Oct 6:
1) First LinkedIn launch post with a short fun video.
2) Sent direct outreach reminders via email, WhatsApp, and Viber to family, friends, and university community.
3) Freebooksy feature went live.
4) Posted the free book promotion on Reddit (r/freeEBOOKS).
- Oct 7:
1) Fussy Librarian feature went live.
2) Posted the free book promotion on Reddit (r/ebooks) after auto-suggestion from Reddit.
3) Second LinkedIn post with day-one numbers + thank you to early feedback providers + "free through today" reminder.

RESULTS (Oct 6, 12am to 7, 3pm Pacific)
- 2,018 Kindle orders processed across 12 countries
- #1 in Business & Investing, #1 in Self-Help, #1 in Education & Teaching; #70 Free overall in Kindle

ADDITIONAL LESSONS
1. The mobile Amazon app restricts Kindle purchases due to Apple and Google commissions. Tell readers to open your link in a browser (and sometimes also in incognito or private mode), not the app.
2. Use an AI assistant as your marketing chief of staff. I have no prior marketing experience, but was determined to learn this on the fly. I brainstormed the entire stacking plan with Muse, had it verify my Freebooksy and Fussy Librarian bookings were actually live, and ran automated price and listing checks through the promo. Doing this solo without a sounding board would have made me miss out on marketing opportunities like the Reddit free ebooks channels.
3. Your product page does the conversion from traffic to orders. Invest time in the book cover, book description, “Read Sample” (i.e. make sure your first few pages are compelling enough for readers to want to learn more), before you drive traffic. For non-fiction, the Amazon A+ content modules (clear graphics to show the book thesis and structure) are what helps readers decide if your book is right for them. It's free through KDP and takes an afternoon to publish. Pointing paid traffic at an incoherent product page is inefficient for you and the potential reader.

WHAT'S NEXT
- Scheduled the remaining 3 free days for Black Friday (Nov 27), Cyber Monday (Nov 30) and Green Saturday (Dec 12). I target the same days when there are ongoing Amazon sales or general peak shopping season to capitalize on organic shopping traffic outside of my promotions.
- Adding IngramSpark for non-Amazon and library/school distribution
- International language translation for larger markets

Good luck on your personal self-publishing journey! Happy to answer questions.

I've chapters written in my Notes and I want to make it like a published ebook PDF, like everything, cover, fonts, headings, page numbers etc etc. Is it doable on my own or one hires an agent for this? Like I want the whole thing to look properly published.

Some reliable self-publishing options in India include -

1- BFC Publications
2- Notion Press
3- BlueRose Publishers
4- Pothi
5- White Falcon Publishing

When choosing a publisher, compare editing, cover design, ISBN, distribution, marketing support, royalties, and pricing.

For authors looking for end-to-end publishing support, BFC Publications offers services covering editing, design, ISBN, paperback and eBook publishing, marketing, and distribution.

It’s best to compare a few publishers and review their terms before making a decision.

Hi everyone,

I’m a new author and I’m trying to figure out the best way to actually get my books in front of readers.

I studied theater for 4 years, and after that I started focusing more seriously on writing. I’ve now written and published 3 books on Amazon Kindle.

The writing and publishing part was challenging, but honestly, marketing feels even more confusing.

I’ve tried a few things already, but I still feel like I’m guessing most of the time.

For those of you who have experience promoting books, what has actually worked for you?

Amazon Ads?
BookBub?
Reddit?
TikTok/Instagram?
Newsletter promotions?
ARC readers?
Something else?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have actually been through this.

I’m not looking for a magic trick I just want to understand where a new author should focus their time and money first.

Thanks in advance.

I had written a novel earlier this year and I am not sure what to do with it now. I dont have any experience in marketing and finding the Literary agents. I did a bit research on it but could not find a way to publish. I am not sure what to do now. Is there anyone who can help me?

I grew up reading paperbacks written by Louis L'Amour in Traditional 4.25 inches wide by 6.75 inches high but understand today the most common format is 6 by 9. Then add the fact that to do Hardcover you really have to stick to 5.5 by 8.5 or larger.

I would appreciate any feedback with your experience.

I work with Indian-language documents every day, mostly old files typed in fonts like Kruti Dev (Hindi), Anu (Telugu) and Bamini (Tamil). Lately I keep running into the same story from writers, and I'm trying to understand how common it is.

It usually goes like this: someone finishes a Hindi book, typed in Kruti Dev because that's what their local DTP shop uses. They upload it to KDP, and the preview shows something like "vkt ge cgqr [kq'k gSa" instead of their Hindi. The book is fine. The font just isn't real Unicode, so Kindle sees English letters where the writer sees Devanagari.

Then come the smaller problems. Online converters break the matras, chapters don't show up in the table of contents, and Word's line breaks make paragraphs look messy on phones. From what I've heard it can take a few days just to get the file right, before any actual publishing.

So, a few honest questions for anyone who has published (or tried to) in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati or Malayalam:

1. What did you write the book in, and which font?

2. What went wrong on your first upload, if anything?

3. How long did fixing the file take, and who fixed it (you, a DTP person, a paid service)?

4. Did it look right on phones and Kindle devices after it went live?

And Telugu writers: as far as I can tell, KDP doesn't accept self-published Telugu e-books yet. Where do you sell yours?

Disclosure: I'm building a tool that converts old-font Indian-language files to Unicode, so I'm not neutral here. I'm not linking anything. I just want to understand the KDP side properly before building anything for it. Happy to share what I learn back here.

A series i’ve been working on for a while had a launch I was pretty happy with the launch weekend, but after a week or so sales just plummeted. It’s my second series so i’m not sure if i’m just doing something wrong or what. Any thoughts tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I’ve been running ads and communicated with my personal networks as well. would love any advice