Today in the indie-publishing series, we are going to talk about where to publish your books. So, once you are all done with your novel, it’s edited and pretty, and perfect, well as perfect as it is going to get, you know where to place them.
For me, it’s important to have all your account information set up in advance, so when it comes time to upload your MS, you don’t have to worry about filling in all your information or connecting bank accounts.
There are several book sellers, more than just Amazon for sure, so this is where you will create accounts in all those places.
Let’s dive in.
Amazon:
You want to go to https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US to create you Kindle Direct Publishing account. There is a video you can watch at the start, but for the most part once you create an account it is pretty simple.
They are going to want bank information so they can pay you. Tax information so they can tax you. And a lot of other personal information. I’ve had an account for years and have never had anything happen with my information—never shared, so it is a safe site.
Barnes and Noble:
Same thing as Amazon, but you will want to go here to create your account.
Even if you only plan on publishing through Amazon, it is still smart to have a Barnes and Noble account all set in case you change your mind.
Kobo:
Similar to the two above. Go here to create your account.
Kobo handles the book sales through Walmart, so it is another nice place to list your books.
iBooks:
Here is the iBooks link for Apple Books for authors.
Draft 2 Digital is a one-stop shop. Publishing here will send your books all over the place, even places you have never heard of. They offer marketing opportunities also, which is nice to have.
I would say that D2D is one of the places you MUST list your books, it is that good.
Books 2 read is a site where all the links to your books are listed under one URL. It is a nice place to put your books, and it will also send your books to other platforms that you might not have thought about.
Again, you don’t have to have an account here, but it is nice to have it all in one place.
Ingram Spark:
Ingram Spark is mostly for print books, but they have a list service that you can pay for monthly and it is a great, professional place to have your books printed from.
Bookfunnel:
Bookfunnel is another great place to find promotions to help sell your book or even place a reader magnet that will collect email addresses for you. It’s not a book seller, but it will help you in your marketing efforts later down the line.
Once again, you don’t have to do all this right now, but I think it is best to have everything all set up before you start the actual publishing part of the book process. I am sure I have missed some in here, since it feels like new and fun ways to sell books pop up daily.
As for me, I have accounts with all of the above. Some are easier than others to use, I’m looking at you iBooks, but most are similar to set up and run. Since my books are all in the Kindle Unlimited program, I can’t sell my eBook’s on another platform, but my paperbacks are available everywhere. Everyone’s author journey is different, and there is no right way, just the way that makes you most comfortable.
Did I miss something?Do you have a preferred publisher for Indies? Let me know in the comments. I love to learn new things and especially from a group of like-minded people.
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About Jenn
Sass. Snark. Supernatural Sizzle.
Award winning author of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Vampires, Greek gods, and a bit of Demon Destroyer fun for everyone.
Jenn Windrow loves characters who have a pinch of spunk, a dash of attitude, and a large dollop of sex appeal. Top it all off with a huge heaping helping of snark, and you’ve got the ingredients for the kind of fast-paced stories she loves to read and write. Home is a suburb of it’s-so-hot-my-shoes-have-melted-to-the-pavement Phoenix. Where she lives with her husband, two teenagers, and a slew of animals that seem to keep following her home, at least that’s what she claims.
We talk a lot about planners versus pantsers versus plantsers but we rarely talk about the process of writing. In the long run, whether you outline or discovery write doesn’t matter. What matters most is getting the words on the page. But how do you do that?
There are folks out there who argue that one shouldn’t question one’s own process. They fear that a close examination of their process will destroy the magic that makes it work. Understanding writing processes, their strengths and weaknesses allows you to adapt your writing process to be what you most need to complete your current work-in-progress. That understanding creates the magic that allows you to do your best work.
What is a Writing Process?
If a process is a series of actions that lead to a particular result. In manufacturing, there’s only one way to piece the product together. That linear, assembly line manufacturing process There is no set order of actions that works best for all writers to produce a finished story.
To be clear, this post is about the process the writer uses to put the story on paper or screen and not about the development of said story.
There are six basic writing processes:
Linear or Chronological
Out-of-Sequence
The End First
Cyclic
Layers
Edit-as-you-go
Let’s dive in and explore what these processes are and their pros and cons.
Linear or Chronological
With this process, the writer begins at the beginning of the story and continues with the scene that follows that, followed by the scene that follows, and so on to the end.
Pros
The Linear process helps the writer to experience the story in a similar way future readers will.
Writing toward story events that excite the writer keeps them motivated through the less exciting bits.
It helps the writer develop the story characters in a more realistic step-by-step way.
Cons
The desire to keep writing, even when one doesn’t know where the story is going, can take the story off on a tangent.
Writing scenes one isn’t ready to write can lead to pages of sloppy writing such as pace-killing travelogs or “as you know, Fred” dialogue.
The writer might forget details in the early parts of the story or inadvertently omit or change them in later parts of the story.
Out-of-Sequence
Writing out-of-sequence means writing scenes or chapters that you are most compelled to write each writing session, no matter where that scene falls in the story.
Pros
This process lowers the pressure of creating the story and helps the writer stay in the drafting mode and keep their inner editor at bay.
It allows the writer to stay in “the flow” by writing the scenes that they can visualize or “feel” at the time.
The writer doesn’t get “stalled” by scenes that are more difficult to write.
Cons
Using this process, it's difficult to remember which scenes you’ve written and which ones still need to be written.
There’s a risk of a of lack continuity between scenes and accidental omission of important points or subplots.
The completed draft is often very messy and needs extensive editing to mold it into a compelling story.
The End First
These writers prefer to write the last scene first. This may lead to writing the scenes in a reverse chronological order. Some writers jump to the beginning and write chronologically. They can also write the rest of the story out-of-sequence.
Pros
Using this process gives the writer a clearer understanding of the story’s stakes.
That knowledge helps them understand the story’s direction and the steps the protagonist and antagonist must take along the way.
With the ending written, it is easier to write a blurb and create a book cover.
Cons
This process can lessen the motivation of the writer because they know the ending.
To preserve the ending, the writer may dismiss ideas that would change it but lead to a stronger story.
Knowing the ending can lead to a predictable plot for the reader.
Cyclic
The cyclic process for writing is a variation of the linear process in which the writer writes a scene or scenes one day. The following day the writer reviews all or a portion of the previous day’s work, revising as needed, before writing the next scene(s).
Pros
The Cyclic Process calms the inner editor so you can keep writing.
The Cyclic process refreshes the story details and stakes in the writer’s mind at the beginning of every writing session.
This process shortens the editing portion of story creation.
Cons
If one has difficulty switching their mindset from editing to drafting, this process can slow or prevent the discovery of new story twists or development.
This process can significantly slow forward progress.
One can end up with nicely edited and polished scenes that do not move the story forward and end up cut from the finished piece.
Layered Process
With this process, instead of peeling back the layers of an onion, the writer adds layers. The writer writes the first draft as they see or hear the story in their head. For example, it might be only talking heads or only blocks of action. Each of the next few passes adds a bit to the scene, such as location details or emotions or stage business or nuance to the dialogue.
Pros
The deliberate additions of the various layers make certain each scene is as deep as needed. This process can be helpful for new writers who have not yet internalized all the parts of a story.
It allows the writer the time to give thought to each detail of the story, thus making the story richer with more resonance.
This process allows the writer to add layers of complexity of theme, plot, and characterizations.
Cons
With this process, there is the potential to forget a layer that would have been apparent writing additional drafts.
This is a mechanical process that can lead to mechanical characters or action.
It may take a long time to complete your story.
Edit-as-You-Go
Similar to the Cyclic process, the Edit-as-You-Go process is self-explanatory. Writing and editing occur in the same writing session.
Pros
Editing-as-you-go produces a cleaner first draft that requires less editing in the final phases of creating the story.
The writer can keep the story on track with fewer digressions by making quick course corrections as needed.
This process can create a stronger sense of character and plot.
Cons
If the editor-mind takes control, the writer can lose their story’s focus and stall out for a time or forever.
You might get caught in a perfectionist loop and never finish the story.
For some, it can take much longer to finish their story than writing a draft, then editing it.
Which Process Should You Choose?
When you start out writing, you may choose a process based on a favored instructor or guru you follow. That’s good for learning, but be flexible. Experiment with the different processes. You can even use a variety of the processes listed here or a variation of one.
Make the best choice for the way you think, and for the story you want to write. If you try something new and you feel discouraged or as if you’re working through the desert, go back to what worked before. There is no right way or wrong way. There is only what works and what doesn't work.
Sometimes it’s not a choice. It’s how your brain works. Sometimes you need to experiment with different processes in order to understand what works best for you. Sometimes, you need to change your process within a novel or for the next novel you write.
The reality of writing is that everything changes. That means you might start with one process and end up with another one or two during a single story or over the course of your career. Understanding which of these processes works best for you and your story will help you do your best work.
What is your writing process? How does it help you produce your stories?
About Lynette
Lynette M. Burrows is an author, blogger, creativity advocate, and Yorkie wrangler. She survived moving seventeen times between kindergarten and her high school graduation. This alone makes her uniquely qualified to write an adventure or two.
Her Fellowship series tells the story of Miranda, a young woman who dared to break the rules. But in 1961 Fellowship America even the elite can be judged an unbeliever and be hunted by the Angels of Death. Books one and two, My Soul to Keep, and If I Should Die, are available everywhere books are sold online. Book three, And When I Wake, is scheduled to be published in late 2024. Join her newsletter to receive her latest updates.
Lynette lives in the land of OZ. She is a certifiable chocoholic and coffee lover. When she’s not blogging or writing or researching her next book, she avoids housework and plays with her two Yorkshire terriers. You can find Lynette online on Facebook or on her website.
So, you’re going to have an author website! Great! You’ll want a couple things:
a domain name — the address people type in to get to your website. It’s usually your own name if you can get it, or you might need to buy one, although you can use a free one from some platforms;
and hosting—a home where your website will live.
Those are the basics. Domain names are pretty familiar to anyone who has spent any time online. But hosting — that’s probably the least understood expense, and often the largest! It's the one I get the most questions about. The company you choose to host your website can affect your budget and how well your website works.
Note: if you use a hosted platform like Substack, Shopify, or even World Anvil, you're leaving the management of the server to them. Essentially, they become your hosting company, and they maintain your connection to the internet.
Disclaimer: I'm writing this post because clients ask about this all the time. I have strong opinions about which hosting companies I recommend to my clients because I have to support those sites in the future. My "short-list" of recommended hosting companies changes often. I'm too old to waste time fighting with bad hosting. I tried to find a good review site to include in this post, but none of them felt reliable, especially long term. Hosting companies often spend more money on advertising than on their machines or their tech support people. Word of mouth is often more reliable than review lists, so asking friends who are happy with their website is not a bad idea.
What does a website hosting company do?
Website hosting provides the computer (called a server) that your website lives on. This computer should stay connected to the internet at all times. And since anything connected to the internet is constantly attacked by killer robots, it needs to be secure. The domain name you use points at this computer.
The problem with hosting is that it can be hard to know if a company is good or not! You pay a lot of money, and if you have a good host, they are invisible. You aren’t calling them once a month about problems, because the problems don’t exist. But not all hosting companies are equal. And many of the biggest names spend more money on advertising than on making sure they provide a good product. Here are some things you need to consider.
A good web host will do more than just stay connected to the internet. (A bad one may not even do that well.) It should protect your website, connect you to services like email and SSL (an encryption method that makes websites safer to use), and have the software necessary to run your website.
If you just have a plain hand-coded site (yes, they still exist), you may not need much software on your server. But if you use a modern content management system like WordPress, you need a server that can handle geeky website programming languages like PHP and MySQL. These languages need to be updated regularly or they'll become targets for hackers.
Yes, I know these are things you don’t care about—but I guarantee: if you don’t have them, you’ll care!
Are there hosting companies that don’t have these basics? YES! There are also companies that charge extra for these services. You need to know what you’ll be paying for—and how much.
Basic services that aren’t always available:
Quality technical support: This is one area where I see huge differences in hosts.
High-speed servers: Every hosting company says they are fast. That doesn’t mean any more than a politician telling you they’re honest. Some companies’ servers are just faster than others. And visitors will leave if a site loads slowly.
Updated PHP and MySQL: These are annoyingly important and surprisingly not always there on some budget hosting plans. I’ve even seen hosts promoting that they have WordPress-quality hosting that don’t meet the minimum requirements for WordPress.
How to compare prices
When you look at the cost of a hosting plan, you want to look at a few different things:
Does the plan include free email? If it doesn’t, you will pay extra for your custom email address (like Jane@JaneDoe.com). A charge of $5/month is not uncommon if you have to buy it as an add-on.
Does the plan include access to free SSL? If not, you’ll pay extra for it. I’ve seen charges for SSL cost $50-$150/year.
Look at the storage space. Websites are tiny things. But if you decide you want to store a lot of high resolution images (don’t) or video (don’t do that either) on your hosting system, you’ll be paying extra for that.
Hosting company reputation—this one can be harder to verify, but a host with a poor reputation can affect whether your email gets to your readers' inboxes or how well your site shows up on search engines
Ways to save money on hosting
The first year on any hosting company is usually cheaper. Websites move.
Buy a good plan that supports multiple websites and share with friends.
Ask the hosting company if they offer longevity discounts. Mine gives me 20% off for 2 years and 30% off for 3 years, but only if I ask. Not all do, but some will.
I’ve been a web developer since the web was new. Here are some horror stories I’ve seen:
A hosting company lied to one of my clients and said that a service was unnecessary and that they’d never provided it. Problem: I’d used that service on that hosting company for about 10 years. The technician didn’t know how to set it up, so he lied. We changed hosting companies and her site worked fine. The service was automatic on her new host.
A hosting company that boasted WordPress hosting where the “edit post” screen wouldn’t load all the way. You couldn’t post a blog post. It’d run WordPress… but you couldn’t edit more than a page every few hours or it overloaded the server.
Hosting servers with internal viruses that allow evil actors to hack websites from within.
Automated backups that never ran. They said they did… right up until you needed to restore one. Then the company said that it was on the marketing material, but shouldn’t be something you relied on.
A client’s website got hacked. When he tried to contact support, he was in the hold queue for 8 hours before being disconnected. (This was a well-publicized internal hosting company hacking that affected hundreds of thousands of websites. No, calling tech support should NOT have been his first recourse, but… well, he called me second.)
A client switched to a cheaper hosting company and his website started crashing about once a month. It’d come back up, but he’d just have to wait until the server restarted.
Hosting companies that don’t monitor their reputation, and then their email addresses get flagged as spam. (Note: if you don’t set up your email correctly, it will also get stuck in spam filters, but I’m talking about a host that actively allowed known spammers to have accounts on their servers. Anything coming out of those servers looked like spam. This is more common with budget hosting and is one reason good hosting often costs more.)
A beautiful website on a bargain hosting company that wasn’t being indexed by search engines because the host was of a low reputation. We moved it to a better host and the site’s discoverability improved right away.
It may not be your website software
Pain points I’ve seen authors have due to hosting:
Slow website
Inability to update a site
Emails not being delivered
Headaches because their website keeps doing weird things
When I meet people who’ve had bad experiences with websites, much of the time it isn’t actually the website software that caused the problem. But because web-hosting servers are such geeky things, it can be hard for a normal person to realize that the problem isn’t their website but their host! And sometimes technical support representatives lie.
One of my favorite stories was an author who had landed a big promo deal. He was going to be on national television on Monday. His PR person contacted me on Friday to do a review of his website and get it ready for the event. As I was looking over the site and making sure it was ready, I asked about the hosting plan. Could it handle the sudden spike in traffic?
“No problem. I have it on a computer in my friend’s basement. He’s a geek, and says it’ll be fine.”
I flagged this as a concern, but with 2 days before the event, we were too short on time to resolve it.
Five minutes into the interview, the site went down.
Have you ever thought about where your website lives?
About Lisa
Lisa Norman's passion has been writing since she could hold a pencil. While that is a cliché, she is unique in that her first novel was written on gum wrappers. As a young woman, she learned to program and discovered she has a talent for helping people and computers learn to work together and play nice. When she's not playing with her daughter, writing, or designing for the web, she can be found wandering the local beaches.
