7 Helpful Websites with Free Resources for Indie / Self-Published Authors

Self-publishing is an increasingly popular way to get your book out into the world, with a high amount of freedom and flexibility that many authors enjoy. However, without the direct assistance from a traditional publisher, many important questions come to mind. How will I market my book to my audience? How will I get my book into stores and online marketplace? How should I even design my book cover?

Thankfully, there are several informative (and free!) websites that provide insight into all these aspects of self-publishing. If you ever feel lost along your self-publishing journey, be sure to give these awesome resources a good read!

As their name promises, Kindlepreneur is a perfect place for indie authors who need guidance in successfully marketing their book, with a special emphasis on the online market via Amazon's KDP marketplace, among others. From climbing the book search rankings to choosing the right audiobook platforms, Kindlepreneur is a professional, organized, and plentiful resource. You can even find book cover design resources that will help your novel look its best.

With extensive content available, The Creative Penn contains all the guidance and information you would need from writing and editing your first novel to profitably marketing your debut release. Joanna Penn's site is very clean and easy to navigate, with inviting step-by-step articles with additional free courses and podcasts supplied by Joana herself, along with content from additional industry experts as well.

CreativIndie offers a unique and prominent perspective in the self-publishing community, as site owner Derek Murphy is a successful indie author as well as a book cover artist. His site is rich with articles providing writing advice, marketing tips, and free downloadable materials created by Derek himself. For more insight into optimal book cover design and formatting, Derek provides substantial resources in this area as well.

TheBookDesigner is another all-inclusive self-publishing resource with several great articles in multiple topics. Apart from sharing writing, design, and marketing advice with indie authors, TheBookDesigner also has extensive information on book production, with articles explaining printing, formatting, distribution and more. Its cover design awards are also an exciting way to discover different book cover artists and publishing companies to assist with the design of your latest book. Unfortunately, its site founder Joel Friedlander has passed away earlier in 2021, however his content continues to be valuable and accessible for all.

With a sleek and colorful website featuring a lot of polished content, IndieReader has unique, valuable resources for self-published authors. The site showcases interviews with established authors and publishing experts, indie bestseller lists, as well as a book review service that self-published authors can apply for to showcase their latest release. Apart from these features, IndieReader also offers advertising opportunities through multiple channels / partners, while supplying many articles on popular topics such as book marketing and cover design.

The Independent Publishing Magazine takes a new-based approach in providing self-published authors with immense content via its series of articles. Differentiating itself from other indie author resources, The Independent Publishing Magazine focuses heavily on the business side of self-publishing, containing in-depth book marketing insights, advertising guidance, and professional writing advice. The site also features many guest-written articles from experts in the publishing industry to offer further knowledge to its readers.

Although it does not have a website of its own, Indie Cover Project is a fun, casual place for indie authors to convene in its large Facebook Group of more than 11,000 members. The Indie Cover Project allows you to get feedback on your blurb, find book cover artists, and receive feedback on e-book and paperback cover designs from fellow authors. It can also be a great way to connect with self-published authors through its postings and member list.