My novels and short stories are available online on most good book sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, Book Depository, Fishpond, and more. I became a self-published author some years ago now. Has it been a good experience? Mostly, yes.
Being a self-published author means you do all the heavy lifting - you come up with the idea, write the story, publish it on sites like #amazonkindle #ingramsparks or similar, and then market your book. This is when the fun really starts. If you search 'book marketing' you will find sites willing to help you market... some good, some bad. How do you decipher what to use?
Many authors have a website and are on social platforms such as #twitter #instagram #pinterest #facebook as well as special book sites like #bookbub #reedsy and #fiverr. Some are paid sites, others are free. Set up an account, remember your password, and start posting. You will find my posts on some of these sites and it takes time to gain followers, persist with it because it does happen.
My career started in television and I moved into advertising and marketing later. This has helped me to know how to market my books, but it has still been a learning curve. The publishing industry has many rules and they constantly change, so before taking on the task of writing a book, think about your audience and how to market to them. Sites like Ingram Sparks and Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon) have good information for emerging authors. Read through them before you begin writing, they are helpful.
Self-publishing is not for everyone, there are many authors who want to be published traditionally, but do what you feel comfortable. For me, being a self-published author works and I'm glad I went this way. Good luck with your writing and publishing journey.
Happy Reading
Maria P Frino