Hellooo, everybody! Writing a book is so, so hard. But you know what's harder? Publishing!
And if you decide to go the indie route like myself, publishing is even harder, because
you gotta do it all by yourself. You may go into the process with all the confidence in the world,
but I guarantee you at some point, you're gonna end up crying in the fetal position, wondering
why you can't just be happy working in retail. Why do I do this to myself? There are a ton
of resources that can help you on your journey to self-publishing. Some of them are valuable, others
are garbage. Which is pretty shitty when you consider the fact that a lot of them aren’t cheap.
That's where I come in. I’ve been in this industry for about ten years. I've self-published multiple
times, and I found some amazing resources. And a lot of them are completely free, or at the very
least cheap. So today, just 'cuz I love you, I am listing ten of my favorite free and cheap
publishing resources that I found throughout the years. And to do you a solid, I am listing
them in order of cheapest to priciest. You're welcome. Look, we writers don't have money to
burn and the last thing we need is handling insane expenses while we're self-publishing a novel.
Allow me to make the process easier and a whole lot cheaper for you. Which money saving bargain
is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
(The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.)
Hey guys, before we continue the topic, I have an important announcement.
As you know Ukraine needs our help right now. So for the entire month of March 100% of the
profits from my merch store are going straight to United Help Ukraine. Not 10%, not 50%, 100%
is going to Ukraine. I am not keeping a dime. So if you wanna support United help Ukraine,
and get some fun writerly goodies, check out my merch store. It's linked in the description below.
There's merch as low priced $8 and every dollar makes a difference. A few disclaimers
first of all, if it wasn't clear already, these resources are for indie authors specifically.
If you're going the traditional publishing route, your publishing house is going to handle all
things publishing, obviously. That doesn't mean they're going to handle them well. But regardless,
it's out of your control. Sorry about it. Second, I will be listing prices throughout this list,
but like many things in life, prices are subject to change. By the time you see this video,
the prices may be different. But don't get mad at me because, and this may shock you, I can't
predict the future. And lastly, this video is not sponsored, nor have any of these companies or
people asked me to promote them today. However, I do have affiliate links for a few of the companies
and services on this list, which means that for every purchase made through said affiliate links,
I will receive a small commission. This does not affect my personal opinion, because I do
not affiliate myself with companies I don't like or use myself. The commission is essentially
an extra perk on top of promoting a platform I was going to talk about regardless. That said,
if you're not comfortable with affiliate links, no worries, you don't have to click ‘em. I'm just
trying to be as transparent as possible because that's how I am. Don't forget to subscribe to my
channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays. And if you wanna be alerted as SOON as they upload, you
know what you gotta do. You gotta ring that bell, that way you are alerted every time I upload. It's
awesome, It's amazing. Why wouldn't you want to be alerted? I know you want to be alerted, let's
say alerted one more time. How about two more times: alerted, alerted, alerted. The first two
books in the Savior series, The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister are available at all major
retailers. You can get ‘em in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook. So pick up a copy today.
It means the world to me. I love my readers so much. So if you're interested in dark fantasy,
if you'd like some action adventure, and you'd like a whole lot of romance, check these books
out. They're linked below. And now, here's my list of the top ten affordable publishing resources for
indie writers from cheapest to priciest. Number One (1): Kindlepreneur. Kindlepreneur is a
website that helps writers turn self-publishing into a business. Hence the name, Kindlepreneur.
Get it? Pretty clever. This website has tons of resources for all aspects of being an author
including writing, formatting, cover art—all that good stuff. But personally, I go there for the
publishing resources. My personal favorite tool is their book description generator. You can plug in
the blurb you want to appear on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and it will generate the proper code for you
for free. It's a really easy way to help make your description pop online, which can go a long way in
boosting your sales. Kindlepreneur has a zillion services, honestly I can make an entire video
about it. But the nicest part about it is you can access all their tools, courses and articles for
free! And you know what they say? If it's free, it's for me. Number Two (2): The Rebel Author
podcast featuring best selling writing craft author Sacha Black. If you've been following me
for a while, you probably already know all about my love for Sacha Black. What you may not know
is Sasha is my go to indie publishing badass. She knows more about indie publishing than literally
every writer I know, myself included. Every time I have an indie publishing question,
I ask her. Which is super convenient considering the fact that she has an entire podcast devoted to it.
The Rebel Author podcast covers all things writerly. But personally, I tuned in for the
publishing advice. You will find episodes covering everything from book descriptions,
to money management, and best of all, it's free to listen to. That's a shit ton of education for
$0. And you're getting that education from the person I go to when I need assistance. If that's
not a plug, I don't know what is. Number Three (3): 20BooksTo50k. 20BooksTo50k is a Facebook
group that acts as a safe space to discuss how to ethically make money as a self-published
writer. There are a ton of people contributing to this group in different ways. But the group is
moderated and run by some real heavy hitters. I'm talkin’ writers who are killing it in the indie
scene. This is a place where you can learn so much about indie publishing, from people who really
know what they're talking about. You can ask questions, engage, make friends. It's a really,
really professional community. You just have to make sure you're not an asshole, which is
hard for some of you, I've seen it. 20BooksTo50k also features public events that you can attend.
I have been asked to attend in the past, but I had to decline due to health issues and all
that kind of crap, but I've heard amazing things. Regardless, I rely on this group for up to date
information about self publishing. I've learned so much from these people and best of all, it's free.
Number Four (4): My self-publishing classes on Skillshare. If you've been living under a rock,
you might not be aware of my classes available on Skillshare. Allow me to enlighten you. I've got a
course that teaches you how to plan a successful book release, which is really important if you're
indie or traditional, because regardless of the publishing path you take, you're probably going
to have to plan that book release yourself. Except now you don't have to do it by yourself, because
I can teach ya how to do it, because I'm awesome like that. And I've also got a course that teaches
you how to self-publish from start to finish. It details every step of the self-publishing process
from start to finish, so you can get through the whole thing easily and efficiently. I mean,
it doesn't get much simpler than that. The entire goal is to make self-publishing approachable
and lessen the overwhelm. I've got you. And even better you can literally take these courses for
free. Clicking the link in the description below gives you a free trial of Skillshare, so that you
can take my courses for $0. If you decide to stick with Skillshare, there is a monthly or yearly fee.
But if not, you can still learn all about self-publishing without paying a dime.
Number Five (5) The Self-Publishing Blueprint by Daniel Wilcocks. Have you taken my courses
but you're still not quite comfortable with self-publishing? Fear not, because best selling
author Daniel Wilcocks has released a book all about the self-publishing process. This super
easy to read book details everything you need to know about self-publishing. It talks about hiring
editors, it talks about different publishing platforms, It's got it all. I definitely
recommend it to newbies in the indie sphere, because it's very short and easily digestible.
It takes something extremely complex and breaks it down into its simplest components. And you can get
this guide for as little as $3.99. Number Six (6): Take Back Your Book by Katlyn Duncan. This is for
all the traditionally published authors who've been done dirty, which is most of you, let's
be real. If you sold your book to a publisher and have major regrets, this is for you. I know Katlyn
Duncan personally, she's an amazing human being and a great writer. And there's no one I trust
more when it comes to traditional publishing, or transitioning from traditional publishing
to self-publishing. Take Back Your Book is a step-by-step guide to rights reversions. It shows
you how to get your rights back and republish your book as an indie author. Honestly, I know too many
writers who are considering this and have no idea how to go about it. This is how you go about it.
You can take back your book for as little as $4.99, and start publishing your books on your
own terms. Number Seven (7): The Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook: Second Edition by Helen Sedwick.
I'm going to level with you, this is not the most riveting read you're gonna find. However, the Self
Publisher's Legal Handbook is vital to anyone who is looking to independently publish their novel.
It has answers to any and all legal questions. Like copyrights, LLCs, sole proprietorships,
pen names—all of it. It answers all those obscure questions that make you think:
am I gonna get sued for this? Honestly, I read this book cover to cover, and highlighted the crap
out of it. I reference it with every publication, and if there's ever a third edition, I'm gonna buy
it. Even better, this handy dandy guide is super cheap, you can get it for as low as $5.99. And
it's worth way more than that. Number Eight (8): The Alliance of Independent Authors. The Alliance
of Independent Authors is a nonprofit membership group, specifically for self published writers.
Basically, if you're an indie author, and you want a shit ton of advice, guidance, and resources, the
alliance of independent authors has you covered. They have events, campaigns, and podcasts. They
even have discounts and member only services. It's like an elite club, exclusive to indie authors.
At least indie authors who wanna make any money. The alliance of independent authors called itself
ALLi, because it wants to be a writers ally. Its whole goal is to make the process easier and
successful for everyone. You can gain access to their membership for as low as $89 a year, which
is less than eight bucks a month. Number Nine (9): MiblArt. MiblArt is a cover design company
that provides artwork for ebooks, paperbacks, hardbacks, and audiobooks As well as promotional
imagery for upcoming releases. It's geared toward indie authors, they offer an unlimited number of
revisions, and they're super easy to work with. I speak from experience. If you've been following me
for a while, you'll know I've had some…interesting experiences with cover artists. I recently worked
with the MiblArt for a secret project that may or may not be in the works. I'll give you details
later. And honestly, of every cover artist I've worked with they were by far the easiest and the
fastest. They asked me specific questions about my book and what I wanted to convey on the cover, and
they delivered a product based on my preferences combined with their expertise. All I had to do
was send them my notes and corrections, and they did it quickly. It was honestly such a breeze to
collaborate with them. And on top of that, they're the most affordable cover artist I've ever worked
with. Cover design for Kindle Vella is as low as $90. And a custom ebook and print cover design
is as low as $150. If this sounds expensive to you, you're on crack. These are some of the most
affordable rates I've seen for truly professional cover designs. And that's just the cherry on top
of having such a great experience with them. And Number Ten (10): Vellum. Vellum is a platform that
allows you to self-format ebook, paperback and hardback books, and it is a fucking lifesaver.
It makes the process literally as easy as it can be. All you have to do is upload your manuscript,
and tinker with the bells and whistles. Change the scene breaks. Update the chapter headings.
Do you want a table of contents? Do you want an acknowledgement section? Vellum allows you to
do all of this, and you can have your entire book formatted in about thirty minutes. I used to spend
so much money hiring professional formatters who would take months to put my book together.
Now I can do it myself, and I get it done during the commercial breaks of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
And most importantly, it looks professional and it doesn't look self made. There are different styles
to choose from. You can absolutely make it your own. I cannot recommend Vellum enough. You can
download it for as little as $199.99 to $249.99. I personally recommend the more expensive package,
because it includes both ebook and physical book formatting. And if this sounds expensive to you,
please keep in mind this is a one time purchase for the software. After that you can format
however many books you want for free. I paid over $500 to format a single book in the past. $250 to
format an infinite number of books is nothing in comparison. So that's all I got for you today.
All of the services I mentioned are linked below. So if you're interested in any of them, definitely
check ‘em out. I love ‘em. That's why we're talking about ‘em today. Don't forget to subscribe
to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell. The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister are available in ebook, paperback,
hardback and audiobooks. So if you are interested in some award winning, bestselling, dark fantasy
romance, definitely check them out. I would super, hardcore appreciate it. My readers mean the world
to me. And be sure to follow me on social media. I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and BookBub.
And of course you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Male Voice) Hey, this is Nick, the voice of Tobias and the narrator for The Savior's Champion, written by our Jenna!
If you enjoy her writing advice, or if you want to find out about her publications, then you know what to do!
Click the subscribe button, ding the bell, get notified every single time she puts up a video
or she goes live! Now what are you waiting for?