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Even though this post is titled “Indie Resources” I think that whether you go traditional or self-publish there are things you can learn from books generally thought of as resources for the DIY writer/author/publisher.  I am still on the fence as to whether I will end up self-publishing my work or not.  In my quest for an answer I have picked up quite a few resource books.  I am a self-professed bookaholic.  The following are some of my favorites:

The Indie Writer’s Workshop by Renda Belle Dodge.  I first heard Renda speak at a local Nanowrimo write-in.  She has been the municipal liaison for Seattle for quite some time and she has devoted a lot of her time to educating writers about how to succeed not only at Nanowrimo, but beyond.  She has put her lectures and tips into print form with this helpful workbook.  The chapters in this book go from “Before Writing” to “Publication.”  It is a good place to start and you won’t feel overwhelmed, you’ll feel inspired.

Teach Yourself Visually WordPress by Janet Majure.  Next you might be thinking you need a blog.  Heck, why not?  At least that was my thinking.  My blog serves as a hub for all of my activity and gets the creative juices flowing a bit.  If you decide you want to go ahead and take the plunge you should get this book.  Even if you self-host your own site and use WordPress, this book is for you.  I know I still haven’t taken full advantage of everything this book has to offer, but it is a constant resource for me.

The Indie Author Guide: Self-Publishing Strategies Anyone Can Use by April L. Hamilton. The book’s title says it all.  This books talks about how to keep your hard drive and email organized, branding, and even making the transition from indie to mainstream.  The reason I picked up this book in the first place was that it addresses how to format your book for POD and getting your manuscript ready for publishing as an E-Book.  But there is a lot more to it.  Check out the table of contents for this book and get ready to be wowed with the amount of information all in one spot.

Making the Perfect Pitch by Katharine Sands.  The only bad thing about this book is that it seems to be out of print, though there are still a lot of used copies to be had.  Why would I recommend a book about pitching to a literary agent?  Because even if you self-publish you are going to have to pitch your book, except you will be pitching it to the reader.  It isn’t very different from pitching to an agent or editor.  In fact, many times the pitch used by the author becomes part of the cover blurb which is the selling point of your book. Indie or traditional we all need to know how to market our work.

I hope this resources are helpful for you.  Are there any that you use that have helped you that are not listed?  Any others you are wondering about?  I have read many others, but choose only four for this particular post.  Happy reading and writing!