Ten Blogs and Websites Every Indie Author Should Know

As Kristine Kathryn Rusch is fond of pointing out, writing is a business. At least it is if you hope to make more than a handful of spare change from your endeavors. All the activities involved after you’ve written your book until it is in the hands of the reader are the business side of publishing. If you don’t give it attention you might as well be one hand clapping in the forest (or something like that).

Here, in no particular order, is a list of websites and blogs I’ve found valuable and read regularly. Some might seem obvious, some are less well known.

A Newbies Guide to Publishing
Joe Konrath’s blog is the granddaddy of the blogs devoted to Indie publishing. Konrath’s brash, opinionated, and doesn’t shy from controversy. He’s a lightning rod for those with differing opinions. The comments are often the best place to get the opposite side of whatever Joe or his guests are claiming. Then you can decide for yourself.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Specifically I’m recommending the “Business Rusch” article published each Wednesday. Rusch draws on her many years of experience as an author and publisher to help authors avoid some of the pitfalls of running their business.

The Creative Penn
You’ll find plenty of things to buy (courses, books , and consulting). I have no opinion on any of these, but have found her blog posts (both Joanna Penn and her guest posters) to be informative and full of good ideas.

David Gaughran
Gaughran has quickly established himself as one of the leading pundits in the world of self-publishing.

The Passive Voice
The Passive Guy aggregates excerpts of stories about the publishing business from all over the internet with a focus on self-publishing. When PG adds his commentary based on his experience as an IP attorney and working with several tech companies over the years you can expect it to be both accurate and insightful.

KBoards – The Writer’s Café
The best internet forum for exchanging ideas with your peers.

Anne R Allen’s blog
Anne and frequent contributor Ruth Harris blog about a wide range of subjects pertinent to Indie authors.

The Shatzkin Files
Mike Shatzin, a well know consultant to publishers, gives his take on various publishing related subjects. While this has a traditional publishing slant, Shatzin provides a nice counterpoint from the other side of the indie-traditional divide.

The Book Designer
Joel Friedlander gives advice on a variety of subjects with an emphasis on the look of a book (cover and typography).

Indies Unlimited
Duh.

Your Turn

There are several blogs that have come and gone from my must read list and I’m sure there are some I’m missing. So now it’s your turn. What are your “go to” blogs and websites to stay informed and get ideas for how to better run your publishing business? What have I missed?

Author: Big Al

Big Al (who insists he only has one name, like Cher, Sting, and Madonna) spends his days writing computer programs that are full of typos, homonym errors, and incorrect verb usage. During his evenings, he writes reviews of indie books for BigAl’s Books and Pals and has recently taken over The IndieView, a website founded by indie author Simon Royle as a resource for indie authors, indie reviewers, and those who read either.

29 thoughts on “Ten Blogs and Websites Every Indie Author Should Know”

  3. Thanks for the list Al.
    I seem to see lots of links to posts from the Alliance for Independent Authors nowadays – I’d be interested to hear whether anyone has any opinions on this. It apparently has connections to many of the bloggers you list above, but I’m wondering whether it is mostly just another ‘promote your book for a price’ site.

    1. I was just looking at their site yesterday, Mel, and I’m thinking of joining. It’s $99/year, though, so I have to think about it some more.

    1. Why would that be? She’s never published a book. She’s a magazine executive. And an evil magazine that is definitely not on the side of writers.

      1. WD has always been heavily supported by predator publishers, including the very worst of them like Author House and Dorrance.
        They wouldn’t even admit that self-publishing existed, editorially, until a few years ago, and their approach was like, “First Step: Choose which of our advertising vanity mills you like best.”
        Immediately thereafter, Jane had a $90 webinar on self-publishing. Based on ZERO experience. Oh, pardon me, she put a bunch of her high school poems on SmashWords a week before.
        These people know nothing about indie publishing and are enemies. Everything they spout is second-hand hearsay with the slant towards their advertiers and co-opt entities.
        Just thought I’d mention that.

        1. To be fair, she left WD three years ago. Before they opened their scam press. And she HAS written a fair number of articles.

          But she’s not a writer, she’s an editor. She’s definitely lacking in indie publishing experience.

          I think people teaching classes in things they have never done probably need some ethics lessons themselves.

          1. I’m sure she very sweet and nice… but you don’t get to be top shot at a magazine with a lot of barracuda DNA. Especially not a snakepit like WD… starting their own “vanity mill” was just inhousing what they’d been doing for years. And Friedman did the first SP webinar when she was still EIC there.

          2. I agree with Kevin. There are a lot of self-help/non-fiction writers who have blogs out there telling us how to write a fiction book and to buy their classes on how to do it when they haven’t done it themselves, that I could see. I have unsubscribed from a few of them for that very reason.

  6. Great list. I’m so honored to see that Ruth Harris and I were included! Thanks much. And I agree that Kristen Lamb and Jane Friedman deserve a mention. (Although Jane doesn’t post much on her own blog any more, her archives are pure gold.)

  7. I’m with Anne! Greatly honored to be included in such a high quality list. Also second the nominations for KristenL and JaneF. Both are invaluable sources of advice and info.

  9. Thanks, Big Al. I’ll check out each one and those from the comments above.

  13. Thanks for all the great comments, everyone.

    Mel, I’m not familiar with them, but it looks like others are.

    BookofJoe, Jane Friedman’s blog was one I recognized as having visited before, but hasn’t managed to get on my list of regulars. Lin’s comments are interesting. I’ll throw out my thought that when making a decision on anything involving your business it makes sense to find the contrasting viewpoints and filter both sides through what you either know or (in the case of opinions) believe to be true before deciding.

    Ann and Ruth, thanks for dropping in. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.

    For all of you who suggested other blogs or websites, thanks. There are several I need to go check out now, too. 🙂

  14. Great list Al. Not counting IU, I only lurk on two of those blogs – The Passive Voice and David Gaughran’s blog. John Scalzi’s blog, ‘Whatever’, can sometimes provide some interesting viewpoints as well – from the dark side. 😀

    1. Catherine is an Irish writer and blogger! Her blog and her book Self Printed are always of great help to me.

  19. Hi there! I’m now following you because Anne R. Allen recommended your website. I trust Anne’s opinion a great deal and once again – she’s right! You’re terrific! Looking forward to future posts. Cheers!

  20. I trust Anne R. Allen’s opinion too and she’s certainly spot on in recommending your website! A very interesting list and I totally agree with all of it!

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