4 Resources for the Self-published Author

4 Resources for the Self-Published Equine Author

6/1/2017

4 Resources for the Self-published Author

In this post, I share a list of resources that have helped me as a self-published equine author. Whether you're new to self-publishing, have already self-published, are looking for creative ways to network or want to excel at marketing your horse book, there's something for everyone on this list. So, if you're self-publishing your horse book, here's four equine author resources you'll want to gallop over to!

1. American Horse Publications

American Horse Publications is an association dedicated to promoting excellence in equine media. Members are equine publishing media, authors, freelancers, businesses, organizations, colleges, and students. I am a proud AHP member!

Some of the benefits of AHP membership include:

Instant access to the Members Only benefits on the AHP website
Affiliation with a national equine publishing media group
Opportunity to attend one of the most affordable seminars available in the publishing industry
AHP e-blasts on association news and publishing
Exclusive benefit for submitting and receiving timely equine industry news
Free listing in the online AHP Membership Directory
Eligibility to enter the AHP Annual Awards Contest (Psst … there’s a category for horse books!)
Free job postings to AHP CareerTrack
Participation in AHP Members Only Facebook Group Page
Access to instructional and educational webinars on publishing and business topics

Interested in a membership to American Horse Publications? Watch this video about the value of an AHP membership then gallop over to their website to join this awesome group of horse lovers. Tell them Carly Kade sent you! They have a referral program, too.

2. Training Authors for Success

I highly recommend a visit to the lovely ladies over at Training Authors for Success. I’ve found their guidance unbelievably helpful. Their website offers a wealth of knowledge to help equine authors develop a foundation for publishing success from writing, editing, and then building a marketing platform to navigating the self-publishing process from book cover design to choosing self-publishing formats for your horse book. In addition, they address publishing decisions like obtaining a copyright to forming your own independent publishing company.

Shelly Hitz and Heather Hart of Training Authors for Success write helpful books, too. I love their Marketing Success Bundle because it contains FIVE books on marketing in one! It covers book marketing, promoting on Amazon, publishing audio books, marketing case studies, and publicity best practices for authors.

Make sure to gallop over and check out the Training Authors for Success website (linked above) to review a wealth of useful information for equine authors looking to self-publish.

3. Facebook Groups

I learn so much from other the authors in the equine community and joining Facebook Groups has been a terrific way to connect with them. A couple groups to look into are Equine Authors United and Pony Book Authors. They are closed groups so you’ll have to ask permission to join. Once accepted, you’ll find the groups are a great place to ask questions and make connections with other equine authors.

These groups are for building relationships and sharing information so remember to not only promote your books, but offer helpful information to your community, too. It is so important to support each other and share knowledge among ourselves. Equine authors are stronger working together. Here’s to writing horse books!

4. MarketingProfs

As a self-published author, you'll need to brand and market yourself in order for readers to find your horse book. MarketingProfs is an enormous resource for the equine author whether traditionally published or self-published! They cover all aspects of marketing from classic topics like branding and PR to newer phenomenon like social media and email marketing. Most importantly, it focuses on practical ways to apply the marketing lessons you’ll learn on their site.

MarketingProfs offers free and paid membership options. You’ll get access to modern marketing tools, training, strategies, articles, online seminars, discussion forums, and more. At the very least, I recommend signing up for their free daily newsletter. It’s full of trends and ideas that you can put to use right away. MarketingProfs is the go-to-place for fresh and relevant marketing advice to get your horse book marketing started off on the right hoof!

There you have it! I encourage you to gallop over to one or all of these spur jingling resources and invest in your own development as a self-published equine author or better yet, spread the word and share this resource list with other aspiring equine authors.

Did I miss one? What resources for self-published authors have you found valuable?

Chomping at the bit for more? You might, enjoy my blog post called, "Being a Self-Published Author Makes my Spurs Jingle. Here's Why ..." In the post, I share some of my own self-publishing successes AND the story of another successful self-published, equestrian fiction author as she explored traditional vs. self-publishing.

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In the Reins Author Carly Kade & her Paint Horse

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About In the Reins

In the Reins, Carly's novel inspired by the equestrian lifestyle, has been an Amazon bestseller for more than 10 weeks, is an EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award Winner for Best Western Fiction, and has earned two Feathered Quill Book Awards in the Romance and Adult Book featuring Animals categories.