AuthorAZ

Free · No account · 2026.1

The AuthorAZ Indie Publishing Course

A free, practical course covering publishing paths, preparing your book, distribution, launches, promotion and the business of being an author.

Find your starting point
Modules
11
Lessons
79
Reading time
about 2 hours
Updated
3 September 2026

Start here

Four questions decide which half of this course you need

The Path Router assigns you one base path and tells you which modules matter now and which can wait. It takes about two minutes.

Run the Path Router

The course

Read it end to end, or go straight to the decision you are facing.

  1. Front MatterWhat this course is, and how to use it.2 lessons · 3 min
  2. Publishing Reality in 2026The traditional categories still exist — but they no longer function as separate, coherent paths. The boundaries have blurred, overlapped, and in many cases collapsed. No serious author operates inside a single, sealed lane anymore. The question is no longer which path to choose. It's which combination makes sense for you, and in what sequence.8 lessons · 13 min
  3. Preparing the BookThe question is not whether your book is perfect. The question is whether it is ready to compete in the marketplace for reader attention and money. This is a different standard than you might expect — and a more honest one.7 lessons · 11 min
  4. Visuals, Legal, IdentityYour cover is not art. It is advertising. This distinction matters because it changes how you approach every design decision. Art expresses your vision. Advertising communicates value to a specific audience. Your cover must do the latter, regardless of your feelings about the former.6 lessons · 9 min
  5. Distribution & MetadataPublishing platforms are not neutral services. They are retail partners with their own business priorities, customer bases, and competitive strategies. You are not just an author. You are a merchant selling a product through various retail channels.10 lessons · 17 min
  6. Reviews & Social ProofReviews serve different functions depending on who writes them and where they appear. Understanding these distinctions prevents you from pursuing the wrong type — or misunderstanding their actual impact on your sales and discoverability.8 lessons · 10 min
  7. Launch Without Losing Your MindA book launch is a coordinated marketing effort designed to generate initial momentum and visibility. Understanding what launches can and cannot accomplish prevents unrealistic expectations — and the wasted effort that follows from them.5 lessons · 7 min
  8. Promotion on a LoopThe publishing industry rewards consistent visibility over viral moments. A book that sells steadily for years will always outperform a book that has one viral week followed by obscurity. Build loops, not spikes.5 lessons · 6 min
  9. Parallel & Alternative PathsTraditional publishing and self-publishing are not mutually exclusive. Many successful authors use both approaches strategically — and self-published success can actually strengthen your position when approaching agents, editors, and literary institutions.5 lessons · 6 min
  10. Money, Signals & LongevityUnderstanding the financial reality of book publishing prevents unrealistic expectations and helps you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and money. Most books that succeed do so over years — not launch weeks.4 lessons · 5 min
  11. System, Toolbox & Brutal FAQA sustainable publishing career requires systems that handle routine tasks efficiently, leaving more time and energy for creative work. This module builds the system, and answers the questions authors are afraid to ask out loud.5 lessons · 7 min

Templates & worksheets

Not lessons — reference material to come back to. Checklists, trackers, budget worksheets and outreach scripts you can copy and adapt.

The offline edition

The whole course as one free PDF

Every lesson, checklist, worksheet and script in a single file, free — useful for reading away from a screen, or keeping to hand offline. Leave an address and it arrives by email.

One email with the PDF, then the occasional note when something substantial is published. Unsubscribe in one click. See the privacy policy.

In print

The 2026 paperback$24.99

The same material as a designed paperback — the print edition of the Publishing Manual, printed and shipped by Lulu.

Printed to order · usually 3–5 business days

Order the print edition

Everything in it is free to read on this site. The paperback is for people who would rather hold it.