Introduction
A Bit About Your Instructor
I imagine that the reason you are here today is that you hope to publish a novel. Whether that novel is drafted, you've been querying agents for ages, or it is still just an idea in your head, I want you to publish your novel too.
Here's the thing. If you're looking for a course from a former Big Five publishing employee, or a fancy book editor, or even a literary agent, this is not the course for you. But, if you are hoping to learn the skills, the tips, and the recipe for indie publishing your novel from someone who did it themself, you're in the right spot.
Because that's me: a bestselling indie author. And once I was you. A writer with a dream and a stacked list of automated rejections from literary agents.
Before we start, I thought it would be helpful to share more about me and my background as a writer, author, and teacher.
Like many aspiring authors, I have been honing my writing craft since a young age. I wrote my very first novel on the family desktop PC, back when a computer was still in the "computer room" and not a device that could go with you anywhere.
I earned a BA in Classics* and an MA in Education from the University of Colorado, specializing in curriculum design and differentiation for learning styles. After undergrad, I launched my journalism career, writing for numerous magazines, online periodicals, and institutions for over 15 years. Full-time, I was an English teacher helping my students hone their own love for reading and writing. On my classroom wall, I had stenciled the opening lines of the first true lesson of your course: write the book you want to read. Because that is where all books start: with something that you, the writer, would like to read. A story that you are telling for yourself. (More on this later).
After leaving the classroom, I finally pursued the career I had always wanted: becoming a full-time writer. I launched The Writer on the Water, where you can find weekly posts about my life as an author and articles on my own personal life philosophy, among other musings. I completed my novel, The Last Empress, and entered the querying trenches. And, as I began to consider self-publishing seriously rather than continue the agony of querying, I also started The Odyssey of a Novel podcast, where I chat with independent authors about the journey, the work, and the learnings that led to their published book. Inspired by their incredible stories, I committed to self-publishing and, on the eve of purchasing my ISBNs and ordering my proof copy of my book, I was offered a publishing deal.
For reasons I will get into later in the course, I chose to still publish independently. However, through this journey, my lengthy background in writing and teaching, and the connections I have gained in publishing and editing, I have also compiled an incredible amount of knowledge on the process of publishing a book.
Like I said, I am not an employee (current or former) of a publishing house. But I am:
- A former literature teacher who knows good writing.
- A former journalist who knows good editing.
- A bookseller at a bookstore who knows what books sell.
- And a bestselling indie author who did it all myself.
Here, I share with you the steps, the tricks, and learnings that lead to my published book and the ingredients that will help you publish yours.
Enjoy!
Other FREE Resources for This Course
- Follow The Indie Author School on Substack for free monthly posts with more insight into writing, publishing, and being an author.
- If you want to get all the posts, Paid subscribers get access to 2+ posts a week, and students of this course can use this link to get 25% off the newsletter from now until eternity!
- Subscribe to The Odyssey of a Novel podcast wherever you listen to podcasts for interviews with published indie authors on their best advice for publishing your novel.
- Follow the school on Instagram at @theindieauthorschool, where we will share success stories of other students from the course and even more resources!
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