FBCW Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101
A seven-week, everything you wanted to know about indie/self-publishing but didn’t know who to ask course with Jenn Sommersby and guests!
Self-publishing can be empowering, creative, and practical—but it can also be confusing to figure out alone. From editing and design to distribution, marketing, launch planning, and long-term sales, there are a lot of decisions between “I have a manuscript” and “My book is out in the world.”
FBCW’s Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 is a seven-week course designed to help writers understand the full self-publishing process from beginning to end. Led by longtime indie publisher and freelance editor Jenn Sommersby, with special guests bringing insight into key parts of the publishing journey, this course will give participants a clear, realistic roadmap for preparing, producing, publishing, and promoting their own book.
This course is for writers who are considering self-publishing, actively preparing a manuscript, or looking for a better understanding of what it takes to publish independently. Participants will learn how to make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, understand publishing platforms and production needs, and build a launch plan that fits their goals, capacity, and budget.
Over seven weeks, participants will explore the self-publishing landscape, develop a practical publishing plan, learn the basics of book production and distribution, strengthen their author platform, and prepare for marketing, launch, and post-publication opportunities.
By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of the self-publishing process and a personalized roadmap for moving their book forward.
Weekly topics may include:
Week 1: Understanding Self-Publishing
Explore the differences between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing models; what authors are responsible for; common myths and scams; and how to define success for your book.
Week 2: Publishing Strategy and Project Planning
Develop a realistic plan for your book, including audience, comparable titles, budget, timeline, production needs, and what support you may need to hire.
Week 3: Book Design and Production
Learn what goes into creating a professional book, including cover design, interior formatting, ISBNs, metadata, print and ebook files, and key production decisions.
Week 4: Publishing Platforms and Distribution
Compare platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Publish Drive, direct sales via Shopify and WooCommerce, print-on-demand (Lulu, BookVault, Books.by), and other distribution options, including considerations for bookstores and libraries.
Week 5: Author Platform and Branding
Clarify your author identity, reader audience, website, newsletter, social media presence, book description, and public-facing materials.
Week 6: Marketing and Launch Planning
Build the foundations of a launch plan, including advance review copies, endorsements, reviews, media outreach, events, promotions, and realistic marketing strategies.
Week 7: After Publication
Look beyond launch day to royalties, sales tracking, updates and new editions, audiobooks, rights, awards, festivals, speaking opportunities, and planning for future books.
Participants will leave with:
- A better understanding of the self-publishing process from start to finish
- A practical publishing timeline and production checklist
- A clearer sense of budget, platform options, and distribution paths
- Tools for thinking about author platform, marketing, and launch
- A personalized roadmap for next steps
