Indie Author: An Introduction: Insights from Ten Years of Indie Writing, Publishing and Marketing

by Steve Griffin

84 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2025

About the author

Steve Griffin is the author of eighteen books, best known for his atmospheric ghost stories and supernatural thrillers - including the bestselling Ghosts of Alice series and his spine-tingling Christmas tales. His latest festive chiller, The Old Man of the Black, follows a young man and an enigmatic woman who must survive a night of ghostly terror when a blizzard traps them in a remote Scottish mansion.

Steve’s other books include The Secret of the Tirthas, a fast-paced mystery adventure series for young adults. The City of Light, the first in the series, was praised by The Guardian as “entertaining and exciting.” He lives in the Surrey Hills with his wife and two sons and when he’s not writing he’s out hiking, going to indie gigs, or watching classic horror films.

Follow him on Amazon or @stevegriffin.author for new releases and behind-the-scenes updates.

Reviews

[Barbara Lennox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I wished had been available when I set out on my own self-publishing journey. I’ve read a lot of ‘how to write’ and ‘how to publish’ books over the years and found them rather dogmatic, full of outrageous claims and inappropriate examples. Steve Griffin’s book is very different, a personal and honest account of his own experiences, detailing what worked and what didn’t, what was advantageous to do and what you could get away with ignoring. The short book is divided into sections on writing, publishing and the section I was most interested in, marketing. Written in Steve Griffin’s confident no-nonsense style, this was a joy to read and I came away determined to have a second go at the marketing I’d failed at, to stop beating myself up for failing to get website views or newsletter signups, and to just enjoy writing and try to improve my skills rather than obsess over sales or their lack. So if you’re a beginner writer or have some self-publishing experience under your belt, this book is definitely one to add to your shelf.

[Sherry Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indie Author, An Introduction, Insights from 10 Years of Indie Writing, Publishing and Marketing, by Steve Griffin.

This authentic, down-to-earth guide for the Indie author is well organized with many good tips . There are no frills here, this is distilled and useful information that the author has thought through carefully and put together in a most forthright way.

There are dos and don’ts, but mostly simple good advice on writing as an Indie author, marketing, social media, and the various platforms for selling. I especially liked the information on Amazon marketing, ads and algorithms.

I recommend this guide to new Indie authors as well as those who have already self-published books, but don’t quite yet have a feel for what they might optimally do to improve their exposure and sales. There are no impossible promises, but many ideas for improvement you may not know about.

[Ellen Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indie Author: An Introduction: Insights from Ten Years of Indie Writing, Publishing and Marketing by Steve Griffin
 
I really liked Steve Griffin’s book detailing his experiences with self-publishing and marketing. Steve writes with confidence and honesty, explaining his difficulties and pitfalls, as well as the things he did right from the start.
 
I particularly wanted to read the marketing section, because marketing is a nightmare, as any self-published author will tell you. I was pleased to see I followed some of Steve’s guidelines but he certainly provided more. I found it all a great help.
 
I highly recommend Steve Griffin’s book. If you’re an author who is beginning your journey or an established self-published author, you will learn more than you could imagine in Steve’s book.

[A Thorsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve's book came out just at the right time for me. As an indie author, I had always used the services of a publishing company, and had also spent years chasing an elusive trad-publisher contract. This book gave me the confidence to go it alone and be fully indie; to trust myself with all the proofreading, editing, formatting, and digital publishing. The book also contains very useful insights into marketing, together with a checklist that guides you towards launch day and beyond, as well as some great social media ideas. A very useful and insightful guide for indie authors!

[Elisabeth Korn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book as it was different to many 'how to write ' books as it was such a personal account which made it a very enjoyable read too. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of writing any type of book.