To be an indie author is to be (at varying times) an editor, a designer, a production manager, and a publicist.
It’s not easy being an expert at so many things. So I devote a fair amount of my time learning from the experts. Fortunately, many of them publish blogs.
And by experts I’m not just referring to other indie authors, but also to industry consultants, agents, and eBook production geeks.
Here are the blogs that I follow:
Publishing industry Insights
- The Shatzkin Files: Mike Shatzkin is an industry consultant and provides an insider’s view of an industry in chaos. One recent post provide excellent details on author royalties on eBooks vs. trade books.
- Self-publishing 2.0 by Foner Books Another long-time publishing expert opines on the future of the industry. About four posts a month and I am sure to read every one.
- Kindle Nation by Stephen Windwalker: Steve publishes a weekly newsletter on the state of the Kindle market. He covers eBook pricing trends, movers and shakers — pretty much everything Kindle related. He also publishes newsletters that can help authors (like me) promote their works.
- The Book Deal: Alan Rinzler is a longtime industry expert and this post of his is particularly inspiring.
India author blogs
- A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing by Joe Konrath: Joe is one of the success stories of the self-publishing movement. He announced this week that he’s sold more than 100,000 eBooks since he transitioned from print publishing to electronic.
- Indie Reader by Zoe Winters: Zoe doesn’t share the granular. But what I like best about her blog is the
Self-publication production blogs
- Pigs, Gourds, and Wikis by Liz Castro: Liz is author of ePub to the Point — a book I recommend highly. Her blog is important for keeping up on the latest ePub developments.
- Threepress Consulting: This blog is not for the tech-averse, but it’s definitely worth reading if you’re planning to get knee-deep in ePub. These folks do this for a living.
Agent blogs (Just because you may not have an agent, doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them)
- Pub Rants: Kristin provides nuggets of wisdom about query letters, publishing houses, and the industry in general.
- Nathan Bradford’s blog: Nathan is not just an agent but also a writer. His passion for publishing is reason enough to follow his blog.
I’d be curious to know what blogs are missing from this list. If you have anything to add, please contact me.