What do you think?
Rate this book
Books for Writers #1
Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish and market your book in ebook and print
Do you want to successfully self-publish?
There are thousands of new books being published every day, but many self-published books quickly sink to the bottom of the pile.
Many authors are frustrated because there are so many options for self-publishing, and they don't know which one to choose or what will be best for their book.
Others spend thousands of dollars to publish and end up broken-hearted with the result.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
I've spent the last seven years self-publishing bestselling fiction and non-fiction books and in 2011, I left my day job to become a full-time author entrepreneur. I've made lots of mistakes along the way, but through the process of self-publishing 17 books, I've learned the most effective way to publish and market your books. In this book, I'll share everything with you.
The book includes:
- What you need to know before you self-publish
- Why self-publishing an ebook is a good idea
- How to format an ebook
- Exclusivity and going direct
- How to self-publish an ebook
- Why self-publish a print book
- Print-on-demand will change your life
- What you need to know before you print
- How to self-publish a print book
- What to do if you want help with the publishing process
- After self-publishing
- How much does it cost to self-publish?
- How do you get paid when you self-publish?
- Book marketing principles
- How to market fiction
- How to market non-fiction
Plus, links to more useful resources.
If you're ready to successfully self-publish, then download a sample or buy now.
You can also get your free Author 2.0 Blueprint and mini-course at TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint (just copy and paste into your browser)
There are thousands of new books being published every day, but many self-published books quickly sink to the bottom of the pile.
Many authors are frustrated because there are so many options for self-publishing, and they don't know which one to choose or what will be best for their book.
Others spend thousands of dollars to publish and end up broken-hearted with the result.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
I've spent the last seven years self-publishing bestselling fiction and non-fiction books and in 2011, I left my day job to become a full-time author entrepreneur. I've made lots of mistakes along the way, but through the process of self-publishing 17 books, I've learned the most effective way to publish and market your books. In this book, I'll share everything with you.
The book includes:
- What you need to know before you self-publish
- Why self-publishing an ebook is a good idea
- How to format an ebook
- Exclusivity and going direct
- How to self-publish an ebook
- Why self-publish a print book
- Print-on-demand will change your life
- What you need to know before you print
- How to self-publish a print book
- What to do if you want help with the publishing process
- After self-publishing
- How much does it cost to self-publish?
- How do you get paid when you self-publish?
- Book marketing principles
- How to market fiction
- How to market non-fiction
Plus, links to more useful resources.
If you're ready to successfully self-publish, then download a sample or buy now.
You can also get your free Author 2.0 Blueprint and mini-course at TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint (just copy and paste into your browser)
81 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2015
1090 people are currently reading
1634 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Penn
46 books1,239 followersJoanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction and memoir author as J.F. Penn.
She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.
See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.
She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.
See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
August 3, 2025
I am a regular listener of Joanna Penn’s podcast for writers and I like her style of storytelling, so I am going deeper into exploring her work.
Successful Self-Publishing is an essential resource for anyone considering to self-publish their book. The author provides topics from writing and editing to formatting, cover design, and marketing. The tips and strategies provided in the book are based on her own experience, so they can help you go through the process of self-publishing and achieve your goals.
Successful Self-Publishing is an essential resource for anyone considering to self-publish their book. The author provides topics from writing and editing to formatting, cover design, and marketing. The tips and strategies provided in the book are based on her own experience, so they can help you go through the process of self-publishing and achieve your goals.
June 3, 2018
This book provides a lot of valuable information. The information, while more self-promotional than I am comfortable with, can help the pre-published and published author. I like the idea of following blurb structure of best selling authors and changing a book cover after release. For the published author it has ideas to polish your books and marketing.
September 12, 2016
A great, quick introduction to the world of self-publishing. This is Joanna Penn's free non-fiction resource, and I highly recommend it!
May 14, 2020
So I love reading through a Joanna Penn book! She is so informative and really walks through the steps on how to be a successful author! This is my second book from this author. Penn has experienced her success through trial and error and shares the principles and steps that made her become a six-figure salary author! I can learn a lot from someone whose been in the literary industry for more than a decade and has written 25+ books!! In this book "Successful Self-publishing" Penn even includes links and websites to more information not found on her pages. Penn shares ways on how to market fiction and nonfiction books. I definitely underlined so many nuggets of wisdom she shared that I will incorporate in marketing my own books! For anyone who is an author or who wants to understand how to be an author-entrepreneur, then this book is for you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2018
There is a ton of information in this book that I as of yet had not had the time to fully explore. I will however use this as a reference for my first completely self-published book which I am planning in the very near future. Before starting this endeavor I just had so many unanswered questions as to how to go about this and that and the other thing. After reading this it has indeed put my mind at ease on some of those issues and given a little more confidence as to where to find the answers to some other nagging quandaries...
Off I go with my next project....
Off I go with my next project....
June 13, 2017
Not a bad overview of the self-publishing process. Each topic covered is listed in the book description so you know what will be covered. There are lots of links to further information, mostly directing the reader to the author's website and other books. This is just an overview so it doesn't go into great depth about any topic, but still contains useful information.
May 14, 2017
Helpful for new authors who are just getting started with self-publishing.
Joanna Penn's non-fiction books are a bit of a godsend for authors looking to self-publish, but who are intimidated by the whole complex process and have no idea where to start.
Joanna does a brilliant job of compacting all of the most important information on a topic into easy-to-read summaries and bullet-points over several chapters, as well as explaining why each piece of information is important. In this short, well-structured book, she makes the entire process of self-publishing seem less like long, hard work and more like something that is achievable and rewarding.
If you are interested in self-published and you want to know how it can be done successfully, I would recommend that you pick up this book along with How to Market a Book and How to Make a Living with Your Writing, also by Joanna Penn. Although this one is probably most useful to a writer who is not already well-informed about self-publishing and marketing, there are a few special tips and ideas in here that anyone in the business could use.
Joanna Penn's non-fiction books are a bit of a godsend for authors looking to self-publish, but who are intimidated by the whole complex process and have no idea where to start.
Joanna does a brilliant job of compacting all of the most important information on a topic into easy-to-read summaries and bullet-points over several chapters, as well as explaining why each piece of information is important. In this short, well-structured book, she makes the entire process of self-publishing seem less like long, hard work and more like something that is achievable and rewarding.
If you are interested in self-published and you want to know how it can be done successfully, I would recommend that you pick up this book along with How to Market a Book and How to Make a Living with Your Writing, also by Joanna Penn. Although this one is probably most useful to a writer who is not already well-informed about self-publishing and marketing, there are a few special tips and ideas in here that anyone in the business could use.
January 21, 2016
While this book does have some very good information especially for someone just starting out to write and publish their first book, it was a little repetitive for me. This is the first of Joanna Penn's books that I've read and I'm looking forward to reading a few of her others.
Read
May 5, 2017I have a whole host of books on self-publishing that I've lined up to read over the next 6 months or so. This free e-book was a great way to kickstart my in-depth research on the topic as I begin to prepare for my own self-publishing journey... *excited gasp*
February 1, 2021
How to be an independent author
This little e-book on how to become a successful self-published author is filled with lots of helpful advice on how to publish your own work of fiction or non-fiction. From font types to cover art, from creating e-books to paperbacks to audiobooks, from completed work to finished book, it's chock-full of informative tidbits on how to transform the book you wrote into a medium you can sell and actually make some financial gains. Joanna Penn breaks down each step and provides links and tools on how to finally produce that novel you have stored on a hot pink thumb drive somewhere in your cluttered office. (Not that I know anyone who fits that description.)
The book is split into two main parts: first how to publish, then how to market. The marketing portion is shorter and not as in-depth as the previous part, as Penn has already written a longer book on how to market self-published works. Podcasts, blogging, maintaining e-mail lists, and forging partnerships with other authors are all solid forms of marketing your work. Penn notes that authors aren't competing against each other, they're competing with the other ways readers care to spend their time. A happy reader wants to read more books!
Really, with all the helpful information provided herein, the publishing part of creating a book seems to be the easiest part. You can spend as little or as much money as you need or want and there are many resources available to help with formatting, book covers, ISBN, etc. It's writing and marketing that entails long hours of work.
This is an essential, helpful guide to navigating the world of self-publishing. Aspiring independent authors should keep this book handy as a reference, for it should provide plenty of aid in producing a finished book they can be proud of.
4 stars
This little e-book on how to become a successful self-published author is filled with lots of helpful advice on how to publish your own work of fiction or non-fiction. From font types to cover art, from creating e-books to paperbacks to audiobooks, from completed work to finished book, it's chock-full of informative tidbits on how to transform the book you wrote into a medium you can sell and actually make some financial gains. Joanna Penn breaks down each step and provides links and tools on how to finally produce that novel you have stored on a hot pink thumb drive somewhere in your cluttered office. (Not that I know anyone who fits that description.)
The book is split into two main parts: first how to publish, then how to market. The marketing portion is shorter and not as in-depth as the previous part, as Penn has already written a longer book on how to market self-published works. Podcasts, blogging, maintaining e-mail lists, and forging partnerships with other authors are all solid forms of marketing your work. Penn notes that authors aren't competing against each other, they're competing with the other ways readers care to spend their time. A happy reader wants to read more books!
Really, with all the helpful information provided herein, the publishing part of creating a book seems to be the easiest part. You can spend as little or as much money as you need or want and there are many resources available to help with formatting, book covers, ISBN, etc. It's writing and marketing that entails long hours of work.
This is an essential, helpful guide to navigating the world of self-publishing. Aspiring independent authors should keep this book handy as a reference, for it should provide plenty of aid in producing a finished book they can be proud of.
4 stars
March 1, 2020
This is fine if you've never looked into any sources on how to even start the self publishing process, but most of the information isn't all that new and mainly just encourages you to get more information from the author's website, which is a very helpful site! But still.... The marketing advice was what I was most interested in and it just wasn't there. The author encourages you to read her other book on marketing instead for more in-depth options, as what is included here is only a very brief overview of major concepts. I was hoping this book would cover the "successful" aspect of both publishing and marketing rather than directing me to other of the authors resources.
In summary: I was looking for a catch all, and this wasn't that.
In summary: I was looking for a catch all, and this wasn't that.
April 6, 2024
A really good example of a simple, straightforward and easy to understand book on self-publishing. I enjoyed it, even though I was reading it for a college course (which is big praise, because it's harder to focus on books for school!). I'd heard a some of the advice but definitely not all of it before, and would for sure recommend it to any writer friend looking to self-publish.
September 30, 2022
An excellent resource for those wanting to research the wonderful world of self-publishing. Great for authors and editors wanting to be able to advise clients.
January 5, 2016
Detailed
If you are considering self publishing your book but are lost on what steps you should take, or what all is entailed in the process, this will clear things up for you.
I have downloaded other books on the same subject, but none of them were as detailed as this one.
I also love the fact that the author has self published both fiction and non-fiction, so no matter what genre you write in, the information is still valuable.
There were also a few " Ah-ha" moments for me. Particularly on the subject of how long your book(s) can continue to make money for you, as long as, you retain your rights. Essentially ensuring, that even after you are long gone from this world, your family can still benefit from! Very enlightening.
If you are considering self publishing your book but are lost on what steps you should take, or what all is entailed in the process, this will clear things up for you.
I have downloaded other books on the same subject, but none of them were as detailed as this one.
I also love the fact that the author has self published both fiction and non-fiction, so no matter what genre you write in, the information is still valuable.
There were also a few " Ah-ha" moments for me. Particularly on the subject of how long your book(s) can continue to make money for you, as long as, you retain your rights. Essentially ensuring, that even after you are long gone from this world, your family can still benefit from! Very enlightening.
September 27, 2022
This is the first book I’ve read of Penn’s. I’m an indie author and have been for the past couple of years, so some of the information I already knew from experience.
However, I did learn a few good things that made the purchase worth it! Like, how am I just now setting up an Author page on Amazon, linking all my books together?
I liked Successful Self-Publishing because it was a short, and therefore quick, read! It had a lot of information that a new or experienced indie author can learn from.
The only thing that nagged me was that periodically the author would point out a link to her website. This happened a bit too often, and made me feeling like she was just trying to market her books.
Other than that, I enjoyed it!
3.5 stars!
However, I did learn a few good things that made the purchase worth it! Like, how am I just now setting up an Author page on Amazon, linking all my books together?
I liked Successful Self-Publishing because it was a short, and therefore quick, read! It had a lot of information that a new or experienced indie author can learn from.
The only thing that nagged me was that periodically the author would point out a link to her website. This happened a bit too often, and made me feeling like she was just trying to market her books.
Other than that, I enjoyed it!
3.5 stars!
July 31, 2019
Where would Indie Authors be without Joanna Penn? Just like her articles and podcast, her books are clear and concise with all the information an author needs. This book is no exception to that. She gives practical guidance, shares lessons she's learned along the way and provides helpful links to explain certain topics in more detail. I highly recommend this to any author preparing to self-publish for the first time. Even if someone has published before, I imagine they will learn something from her practical tips.
August 17, 2017
Having read quite a few books and listened to my fair share of podcasts on self-publishing, this really isn't the best book on the subject that I've come across. It's meant to be a very, very, very basic overview, so there wasn't really anything I got out of it. It's not a remarkable book, but has some good information for someone who hasn't done any research yet.
So, not remarkable, but not bad either. Perfectly average.
So, not remarkable, but not bad either. Perfectly average.
August 24, 2017
Very good introduction to self-publishing! This book is very insightful, and I especially liked the helpful links to other resources. I'm a big fan of Joanna and her extremely helpful website. Keep up the great work Joanna!
Another helpful book that I like for aspiring authors is called "14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book." The 14 Steps book seems kinda similar to this one, but it lays out the self-publishing process in an easy to follow step-by-step guide.
Another helpful book that I like for aspiring authors is called "14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book." The 14 Steps book seems kinda similar to this one, but it lays out the self-publishing process in an easy to follow step-by-step guide.
September 21, 2016
Very good and enjoyable read. I have put the cart before the horse on this one though. I need to complete my book(s) and THEN I can worry about the self-publishing side of things. But, this is an ever evolving process, and Joanna Penn is at the forefront of this movement, and well versed in the process. Everything she writes or podcasts on the subject is worth the study.
February 23, 2018
Joanna Penn provides a wealth of information and advice for new writers, across her podcast (which is where I first encountered her), website, and books. This book is a great introduction to self-publishing, and touches on all the topics, with many links to other sources with more details. It led me to buy her book on marketing your book, which I'll be reading next.
November 5, 2016
Awesome!
"Another brilliant piece of work completed by Joanna Pennn - the master in the arts. I only read and buy her non fiction, because I truly trust her, and she is the best."
"Another brilliant piece of work completed by Joanna Pennn - the master in the arts. I only read and buy her non fiction, because I truly trust her, and she is the best."
February 25, 2017
A short, solid book on how to self-publish successfully. I liked this and thought it gave a good overview for someone (like me) who hasn't really done any research on self-publishing yet.
September 20, 2017
Great book for writers just starting on their journey. Old-timers can probably find some helpful nuggets of information in here as well.
November 26, 2017
This is a great introductory book, describes the entire process and makes it look pretty straightforward! I'll 100% be reading more books from Penn's collection for writers.
June 25, 2018
Simply, straight-forward, and exactly what I was looking for.
While there wasn't always a ton of detail, that's ok, as I was just looking into the basics anyway.
While there wasn't always a ton of detail, that's ok, as I was just looking into the basics anyway.
May 3, 2020
Knew a lot of the info already from personal research or simply reading her other books, but still a great, fast read for writers looking to go into the indie publishing business!
March 24, 2023
A great starter book for someone planning to self-publish their first book.
July 26, 2020
I was excited when I found the author had uploaded this audiobook to Youtube so people can listen to it for free. I've read one of Joanna Penn's books before as well as some of her podcast episodes, so I was excited to listen to this book.
Successful Self-Publishing is a great non-fiction book about self publishing and I would definitely recommend it to those who are relatively new to self publishing. It has lots of information about the whole publishing process as well as plenty of resources to find more information about anything from cover designers, editors or even how to set up your own website. It really is a great starting point to learn about self publishing as it's full of information about the whole process and explained in an easy to follow and understand way. And plenty of links to find more about any topics your want to know more about.
I also thought it was nice that the author doesn't only focus on publishing in e-format, but also runs through the options for physical copies as well as audio. Which is great for those who are interested in that. I also liked that there were two chapters about marketing, one about fiction and one about non-fiction marketing. This ofcourse doesn't cover everything as the author has a whole book about marketing, but it still gives a good starting point.
This audiobook is narrated by the author, which in this case works great as the author has a lot of experience with audio as she has her own podcast. The book is pleasant to listen to. The author has a clear voice and I liked listening to it. I also thought it was neat to listen to a non-fiction book that was narrated by the author herself.
To summarize: A great read if you want to know more about the whole process of self publishing. Especially for those relatively new to self publishing I think this book can be very informative. There's a lot of information about the whole self publishing process as well as links to places to learn more about specific topics. And if you like audio format it's definitely a great book to listen to, the narrator was pleasant to listen to and it was neat to listen to a book narrated by the author herself.
Successful Self-Publishing is a great non-fiction book about self publishing and I would definitely recommend it to those who are relatively new to self publishing. It has lots of information about the whole publishing process as well as plenty of resources to find more information about anything from cover designers, editors or even how to set up your own website. It really is a great starting point to learn about self publishing as it's full of information about the whole process and explained in an easy to follow and understand way. And plenty of links to find more about any topics your want to know more about.
I also thought it was nice that the author doesn't only focus on publishing in e-format, but also runs through the options for physical copies as well as audio. Which is great for those who are interested in that. I also liked that there were two chapters about marketing, one about fiction and one about non-fiction marketing. This ofcourse doesn't cover everything as the author has a whole book about marketing, but it still gives a good starting point.
This audiobook is narrated by the author, which in this case works great as the author has a lot of experience with audio as she has her own podcast. The book is pleasant to listen to. The author has a clear voice and I liked listening to it. I also thought it was neat to listen to a non-fiction book that was narrated by the author herself.
To summarize: A great read if you want to know more about the whole process of self publishing. Especially for those relatively new to self publishing I think this book can be very informative. There's a lot of information about the whole self publishing process as well as links to places to learn more about specific topics. And if you like audio format it's definitely a great book to listen to, the narrator was pleasant to listen to and it was neat to listen to a book narrated by the author herself.
January 24, 2019
Joanna Penn's "Successful Self-Publishing" is a great primer for anyone just getting into self-publishing. Her writing comes off professional yet relatable and her message is dialed in and on-point. Sadly, some of the content is a bit older with references to the now-deceased CreateSpace platform.
But, for what it's worth, Joanna equips the newbie with all the tools they'll need to get going in the self-publishing industry. If you're already following Joanna Penn's podcast or YouTube channel, then you aren't in for a surprise. I've always enjoyed her open enthusiasm for writing and encouragement of the indie author community.
I would've considered this a perfect publication if not for a few minor issues:
• Subtitles aren't sentences, so capitalizing the main words is a must
• Antiquated advice on CreateSpace
However, I'm not deterred by the minor imperfections and have already bought the rest of her series to learn more by Joanna Penn. She's the moral compass and beacon the indie author community needs. Five-well-earned stars for "Succesful Self-Publishing."
But, for what it's worth, Joanna equips the newbie with all the tools they'll need to get going in the self-publishing industry. If you're already following Joanna Penn's podcast or YouTube channel, then you aren't in for a surprise. I've always enjoyed her open enthusiasm for writing and encouragement of the indie author community.
I would've considered this a perfect publication if not for a few minor issues:
• Subtitles aren't sentences, so capitalizing the main words is a must
• Antiquated advice on CreateSpace
However, I'm not deterred by the minor imperfections and have already bought the rest of her series to learn more by Joanna Penn. She's the moral compass and beacon the indie author community needs. Five-well-earned stars for "Succesful Self-Publishing."
September 12, 2021
Don't get the rating wrong, this is a great book to start with, as it contains a lot of practical tips and ways of starting off as a self-published author. For me, one star gets off, because this is far from an exhaustive book, it is rather severely lacking and mainly relies on Joanna Penns experience. Adding more statistics and research of how most self-published authors do etc. should be a part here. The second start goes off because it has too much of a self-publish vibe, advertising the author's own website, multiple times telling the same thing - I think the words "six-figure income" in some form was mentioned almost ten times. In a short book, of 80 pages, this is too much - and the writing becomes thus too simple in a way. All in all, however, this is a great place to begin if you wonder where to start and how to get going with self-publishing and I will myself come back to it when I eventually am ready to publish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews