The self-publishing industry can be a lonely place. Often, there’s only you as a one-person-army: writer, editor, marketing manager, and adviser. Under such conditions, it can be difficult, even paralyzing, to make important decisions and improve your skills.
That’s where self-publishing and writing blogs come into play. Full of actionable advice and first-hand industry experience, they are a treasure trove for authors.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 20 self-publishing blogs that are worth your attention.
20 Self-Publishing Blogs in No Particular Order
We read these blogs, we love them, and we’d like if you check them out:
1. Writers Helping Writers
Best-selling authors Angella Ackerman and Becca Puglisi use their blog to help you make your storytelling livelier and more engaging and your characters believable and dynamic.
Whether you want to read how to use trauma strategically to create an emotional arc or find writing support from the special Thesaurus series, you’re in the right place.
The range of unique writing advice wrapped into an engaging presentation makes Writers Helping Writers one of our favorite self-publishing blogs.
2. Anne R. Allen’s Blog with Ruth Harris
Anne R Allen and Ruth Harris are two industry veterans with immense experience and the desire to share it. Follow their blog for actionable writing advice and articles from industry professionals on topics from book cover design to author agreements.
We believe there isn’t a self-publishing question that wasn’t answered on this blog. And if there is, just wait a bit, and it will be answered.
3. Mythcreants
Mythcreants isn’t only a blog with a 10-out-of-10 name but a real treasure for SF&F writers. The blog is filled to the brim with dissections of the genre, its tropes, what makes the genres work and what doesn’t, and everything in-between.
Give the blog a try, and you won’t even notice how you’ve gulped a dozen articles and still want some more.
4. The Write Practice
The blog of The Write Practice makes it easier to practice writing and love the process, which is a must for longevity. Full of articles that examine the nuances of the craft and what makes an author a good writer, the blog is dedicated to making you one step closer to complete mastery.
5. Chuck Wendig’s Terribleminds
Chuck Wendig writes books, scripts, comic books and also has a terribly cool blog, Terribleminds. There, he and other people with terribly terrific minds share their experiences and things they’ve learned along the way of the writer.
6. Writer Unboxed
Writer Unboxed is all about the craft and the business side of it. With over 50 experienced contributors, the blog has a special charm to it. There, an author can feel at home with other creators coming to support and uplift one another.
7. The Creative Penn
If you haven’t heard or stumbled on Joanna Penn and her blog on your online quests, you must be quite new to the game. It’s difficult to say something about her blog that wasn’t said before. It’s a real treasure and you definitely should check it out.
8. David Gaughran’s Blog
David Gaughran writes historical adventure novels and helps self-published authors to succeed. He even holds a Wilhelm Solstice Award for helping writers avoid predatory schemes. In his blog, you can find information about the nuts and bolts of the self-publishing industry. The blog also boasts an active community. For example, the post about how to self-publish a book accumulated over 500 comments.
9. The Write Life
The name of the blog is completely self-descriptive. It’s all about that writing life and what it takes to make it work. It’s a big, popular blog with hundreds of articles and active engagement. A nice place to spend half an hour while procrastinating before that hardcore editing session.
10. Daily Writing Tips
Hey, do you want some neat daily writing tips in your life? Well, do we have great news for you! Well, their tips are not exactly daily, but let’s be honest here their backlog is so big, you won’t even notice this discrepancy.
Just give this blog three minutes out of your life every day, and your writing arsenal will explode (in a good way).
11. Helping Writers Become Authors
K.M. Weiland has an award-winning writing guide Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs as well as a superb blog under her belt. There, you can find unique tips on writings and an active community ready to engage in interesting discussions.
12. Jane Friedman’s Blog
With 20 years of first-hand experience in the book publishing industry, Jane Friedman uses her blog to guide authors on their publishing journeys and keep them up to date with the most recent developments in the industry.
13. Nathan Bransford’s Blog
Before becoming an author of How to Write a Novel and a nice-blog-haver, Nathan Bransford was a literary agent. His blog is dedicated to helping authors achieve their goals and polish their skills. Whether you want to learn more about ins and outs of the industry or insights about book-writing, Nathan’s blog is a good place to start.
14. The Passive Voice
Led by a lawyer and a writer, The Passive Voice is an interesting blog. It is more akin to a stream of consciousness where reflections, tips, and news intertwine together into a harmonious hum. But that is what makes this blog so unique and charming. You never know what you find there: inspiration, useful advice, nice poetry, or a recommendation.
15. Sacha Black’s Blog
Sacha Black is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. Her blog is full of specific tips to help you build memorable and effective characters and improve your prose. Also, Sacha’s upbeat personality is palpable through her blog, which is a complete delight.
16. Just Publishing Advice
Just Publishing Advice has a very deceptive name as its blog is much more than just that. Their blog has articles on grammar, writing, practical publishing advice, writer-s self-development, free resources for authors, and more.
17. Self-Publishing Advice by Alli
The Alliance of Independent Authors has a few projects the aim of which is to answer all questions an indie author may have. One of the said projects is Self-Publishing Advice where you can find daily articles on the topics concerning the self-publishing industry and writing. We don’t know how, but they manage to provide a constant stream of relevant content.
18. Mythos & Ink
Mythos & Ink is an independent press for science fiction, fantasy, and geeky nonfiction. They also have a blog with useful and interesting information for SF&F writers and readers.
19. Jerry Jenkins’s Blog
Jerry Jenkins is a bestselling author of more than 200 books who also shares the precious bits of his storytelling experience on the blog. The content is free and extra insightful.
20. Self-Publishing Formula
A passion project of bestselling author Mark DawsonSelf-Publishing Formula offers articles with everything you need to know for successful self-publishing.
What Are Your Favorite Blogs for Self-Published Writers?
That was our top 20 self-publishing and writing blogs that we think are worth your attention. We’re glad to be living in a time with such an abundance of free materials; it feels like Christmas.
Do you have any favorite self-publishing blogs we’ve missed? If so, share them in the comments!