Clare Connelly's Story: the transformative power of self-publishing
One of the best days of my life is the day I sold my first book on Amazon. It changed my life.
At the time I was in the midst of the juggle of raising two small children and felt I was losing myself. I’d harboured the dream to write but faced rejection after rejection from traditional publishers. Right before I was about to quit, I took a chance and self-published on Amazon with absolutely no expectation of anyone buying or reading my book (fuelled in large part by a glass of Barossa Valley shiraz…).
But then…something incredible happened.
Within hours of the book going live, sales surged. In just three months I found myself among the elite as one of the top-selling Amazon-exclusive authors, even topping the best-seller chart for my genre. I became what’s known as an Amazon All Star in the US and UK (one of the top selling Amazon-exclusive authors). Even now, it remains an unbelievable “pinch me” moment.
I earned a six-figure income in my first year of self-publishing and, over the decade since, have continued to go from strength to strength.
If I can accomplish this self-publishing feat, I’m confident you can too.
That’s why I’m so passionate about self-publishing. I want to equip writers like you with the skills and strategies to bring your books to the online marketplace with confidence. We are here to guide you with strategies to be your most successful author self!
So if you’ve ever dreamt of seeing your name on the cover of a book that actually sells, know that with effort and knowledge it's within your reach. Come and learn how to turn your writing dreams into reality.
Written a book, now ready to get it into the hands of the readers who'll love it most?
Why self-publish?
✔️ Keep creative control
✔️ Faster to market
✔️ High royalties
✔️ Reach a global audience
✔️ Reach niche audiences
✔️ Control over marketing
✔️ Flexibility to pivot fast
This course will give you the confidence to finally publish your work and build towards a sustainable career in self-publishing as an indie author.
Self-publishing success awaits!
According to the Alliance of Independent Authors...
- Self published authors earn more than authors who are traditionally published
- Younger authors are making self-publishing their first choice
- Self-published authors made up over 50% of Kindle's Top 400 books for 2023
By the end of this course you will know...
✔️ How to…craft your self-publishing business strategy
✔️ How to…decide on your publishing approach - narrow vs wide
✔️ How to…master rapid release and pre-order strategies
✔️ How to…employ ebook formatting essentials, front and back matter, ISBN
✔️ How to…develop an intentional pricing strategy
✔️ How to…design or select a cover that sells
✔️ How to…master Goodreads to expand your reader base
✔️ How to…start optimising your Amazon author page
✔️ How to…create irresistible Reader Magnets
✔️ How to…create effective online advertising and paid newsletter promotion techniques
✔️ How to…harness Blog Tours and Bookbub campaigns
✔️ How to… build a team of Advance Readers
✔️ How to…craft a book launch strategy
✔️ How to…create an ebook available on Amazon
✔️ How to…gain reviews
And that's just the beginning with lots of self-publishing tips and tricks along the way!
What the course covers
Becoming an Amazon All-Star
Clare Connelly talks you through how she became a US and UK Amazon All-Star, while making a six figure income in her first year of self-publishing.
The Self-Publishing Landscape
With our guidance, learn the market. Become familiar with the key concepts you'll need to grasp in order to self-publish with confidence.
Pre-Publication Essentials
Website, newsletter, social media, business approach - learn how to act like an author before you've published your first book.
Self-Publishing Strategy
What genre will you publish in? Are you going to publish narrow or wide? What about foreign translations, audio, boxsets? We will talk you through all the strategic decisions to be made.
Publishing Your Book
We guide you through all the practical nitty gritty such as the blurb, cover design (a make or break), back and front matter, formatting, ISBN, pricing and more.
Publishing and Discoverability
Self-publishing your book is not enough - you also need to make sure you books are 'findable', while also presenting a professional, "on-brand" image, from day one.
Book Promotion
Getting your book into readers' hands requires a plan. We cover reader magnets, Facebook and Amazon ads, blog tours, list services (eg BookBub), signings, promotional materials and more.
Advance Readers and Reviews
One of the best ways to build buzz and get early feedback of your book (that you can use for promotional quotes) is to establish a support crew of readers in your genre. We'll teach you how!
Your Book Launch
It's time to launch your book, yippee! But first you must decide whether to offer pre-orders, to go wide or stick to one sales platform. We offer guidance on the promotional tools that will best ensure your book will fly off the shelves.
Embark on an exhilarating journey of self-publishing success, packed with actionable strategies, expert insights, and boundless potential for growth and achievement. Join us and unleash your full potential as a self-published author, transforming your aspirations into tangible success!
Who is this for?
- Aspiring authors
- New authors
- Traditionally published authors looking for hybrid opportunities
- Traditionally published authors who've got their rights back
- Writers of all genres of fiction
- Fiction and non-fiction writers
- Self-published authors looking for more success
- Those considering their options and wanting a better understanding of self-publishing
Why trust us to help?
The course is carefully curated and presented by published authors Amy Andrews, Ally Blake, Clare Connelly and Jennifer St George with over 200 published books and more than 10 million book sales between them. We're here to set you on the path to making a living out of writing, and can't wait to get started!
Sample Curriculum
- Planning (4:03)
- Going Narrow, Going Wide (2:36)
- Rapid Release and Pre-orders (1:54)
- Writing to Market (1:42)
- Diversifying Publishing Channels (5:01)
- Title & Blurb (3:01)
- Front and Back Matter (2:42)
- Ebook formatting (1:46)
- ISBN (1:48)
- Pricing (2:31)
- Listing with National Archive (0:39)
- Book Cover Design (30:29)
- Loading Your Book onto Amazon (15:36)
- Author Page on Amazon (5:10)
- Genuine Connection with Readers via Goodreads (9:10)
100% Risk-Free
Try our online self-publishing course for 7-days and if you are not satisfied, get in touch within that time, and we will provide a full refund.
Make your publishing dreams a reality!
There are many reasons to publish a book. You might have a single book of the heart, one passion project, that you've worked on for years and years and are desperate to complete and make available. Or you might be wanting to build a career, book by book, with the hopes of becoming a full-time writer. Whatever your motivation, this course covers all the steps of self-publishing so you can start making your publishing dreams - whatever they are - a reality. We can't wait to see what you achieve!