Self-publish your book with confidence.
The step-by-step guide to publishing in ebook, print and audio, and marketing your book. Fourth edition, written and narrated by Joanna Penn.
Do you want to self-publish your book but don’t know where to start?
Are you worried it’s too complicated, too expensive, or that you don’t have the right skills?
I self-published my first book in 2008 with a print run of two thousand copies, most of which went to landfill. Then I discovered ebooks, print-on-demand and online marketing, and in 2011 I left my day job to become a full-time author.
This fourth edition shares the methods I use to publish more than forty books in ebook, print and audio, the services to trust, how to avoid the scams, and marketing that works for fiction and non-fiction. You can read sample chapters on my store before you buy.
Who this book is for
This book is for first-time authors who want a clear roadmap, and for authors who have published before and want to check what has changed. It covers fiction and non-fiction, and every format: ebook, paperback, hardback, large print and audiobook.
It’s also for traditionally published authors who want to understand the independent route, and for anyone weighing up exclusivity with Amazon against going wide, selling direct, or crowdfunding a special edition.
What you’ll learn
The book is organised in four parts: what to decide before you publish, how to publish in each format, how to market your book, and how to use AI tools as an artisan author. Each chapter ends with questions and links to resources. Here are the questions it answers.
- What is my definition of success, and what are my publishing options?
- Which formats should I publish in, and why?
- What kind of editing do I need, and how do I find a cover designer?
- How do I write a sales description and choose categories and keywords?
- Should I go exclusive with Amazon or go wide?
- How do I self-publish an ebook, a print book and an audiobook?
- What are my audiobook options, including narrating it myself?
- How do I sell direct from my own store?
- How much does it cost to self-publish, and how do I get paid?
- What happens after I publish?
- What are the marketing principles, and which tactics suit my book?
- How can AI tools help without replacing my creative work?
Read sample chapters
The whole book is published chapter by chapter on my store, so you can read before you buy. These three are a good place to start.
- What is your definition of success?
- Your publishing options
- Which formats will you publish in and why?
See the full chapter list on my store, or the compact list further down this page.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by me.
Listen to the full audiobook on YouTube
The whole fourth-edition audiobook is on my YouTube channel, with chapter markers. If it helps, you can support my work by buying a copy in whichever format suits you.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback, large print and audiobook (narrated by me). Buying direct from my store supports me directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
This short book is solid gold for writers interested in independent publishing. Chock full of advice and great resources, the author does not preach one true way of being an indie author, but rather provides thoughts and recommendations useful to various paths.
Roger Alix-Gaudreau
★★★★★
I already have an earlier edition of Successful Self-Publishing and I followed it to the letter when publishing my first novel. I was pleased to be able to purchase the updated edition which has so much new information and lots of additional resources.
Pauline Wilson
★★★★★
A quick read with many many strategies for self-publishing and marketing. I have so many post-its and notes throughout to remind me to follow up. It's like a mini-course in a book.
Susan
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
Articles on self-publishing
Start with my step-by-step guides, How to self-publish an ebook and How to self-publish a print book, then dip into these.
- How I professionally self-publish
- 5 important steps before you self-publish
- What is your definition of success?
- Your publishing options
- How to find and work with a book cover designer
- How to write your book sales description
- Tutorial: how to research categories and keywords with Publisher Rocket
- How to record and publish your own audiobook
- How to sell ebooks and audiobooks direct
- Why and how I publish large print editions
- How to find and work with a professional editor
- My list of recommended editors and proofreaders
Podcast episodes about self-publishing
I talk about publishing every week on The Creative Penn Podcast. These episodes go deeper into topics from the book.
- Lessons learned from 15 years as a full-time author entrepreneur (Joanna Penn)
- Trends and predictions for indie authors and the book publishing industry (Joanna Penn)
- Going indie, publishing innovation, and the challenges of book marketing with John Bond
- Creative satisfaction, in-person print book sales, and author mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre
- Writing cross-genre, selling direct, and serialising on Substack with P.D. Alleva
- Two different approaches to selling books direct with Sacha Black and Joanna Penn
- Special editions, seasonal podcasts, and the art of low-key book marketing with Sara Rosett
- Kickstarter tips for authors: rewards, shipping, marketing, and lessons learned
- Kickstarter for authors with Oriana Leckert
- Writing, self-publishing and marketing books for children with Darcy Pattison
- Self-publishing in German: how to translate, distribute, and market your books with Skye MacKinnon
- Accessibility and AI: how new tools are opening doors for indie authors with Jeff Adams
More sample chapters from Successful Self-Publishing
Every chapter is on my store as an excerpt. Browse the full list, or start with these.
- What is your definition of success?
- Your publishing options
- Which formats will you publish in and why?
- Editing and book cover design
- Sales description, categories, and keywords
- How to format an ebook file
- Exclusivity or going wide
- How to self-publish an ebook
- How to self-publish a print book
- Audiobook options
- How to self-publish an audiobook
- Selling direct
- How much does it cost to self-publish?
- How do you get paid when you self-publish?
- After self-publishing
- Marketing principles
- Different ways to market your book
- The artisan author in an age of AI
- Ways to use AI tools
- Your next steps
Questions about self-publishing
How much does it cost to self-publish a book?
Publishing on the main platforms like Amazon KDP costs nothing up front: they take a percentage of each sale. The real costs are production and marketing, mainly editing and cover design. Your definition of success shapes your budget. Research every service: there are great companies and there are sharks.
How do self-published authors get paid?
The retailer takes the payment, keeps a percentage plus any printing or delivery cost, and pays you about sixty days after the month of sale. Ebook royalties are around 70 percent in the main price band. For print, you add a margin on top of the printing cost. Selling direct pays faster and keeps more.
Should I publish exclusively with Amazon or go wide?
Both work, and you can change the mix over time. KDP Select puts your ebook in Kindle Unlimited, which is simple and gives new authors promotional tools. The risk is depending on one platform whose rates and rules change. Going wide reaches readers on Kobo, Apple, Google Play, libraries and your own store.
Do I need a print run, or is print-on-demand enough?
Print-on-demand is enough for almost every author. I use Amazon KDP Print for Amazon, IngramSpark for bookshops and libraries, and Bookvault for my special editions and my own store. Each copy is printed when it is ordered, so there is no stock in the garage, which is where my first print run ended up.
Do I need an editor if I self-publish?
Yes. We are too close to our own work to see its flaws, and I still use an editor after forty-five books. Not every book needs every edit: developmental, line, copy and proofreading are different jobs. Choose someone who knows your genre, ask for a sample edit, and spend where you need most help.
What's new in the fourth edition?
The fourth edition is updated and expanded: current publishing platforms and opportunities, a bigger section on selling direct, special editions and crowdfunding, and a new part on using AI tools effectively as an artisan author. It also has a quick-start roadmap for your first book, and the latest sites and services to trust.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.