Is indie publishing the same as self-publishing?

They often mean the same thing. Sometimes indie publishing refers to smaller, independent publishers who work with authors, and self-publishing refers to authors who take on the responsibilities of publishing themselves. To be very clear, someone could say they are a self-published indie author.

Do indie authors make more money than traditionally published authors?

Yes, the profit percentage is much higher for indie authors. The catch is that traditional publishing houses often have marketing departments to help sell books. But the majority of traditionally published authors never out-earn their advance and do not receive royalties.

Can a self-published book become a bestseller?

Yes. Books like Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey, Andy Weir's The Martian, and Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad were all self-published before becoming bestsellers.

Do I need a literary agent if I want to self-publish?

No. Literary agents help authors get traditionally published. If you are self-publishing, you are not looking for a publisher, so an agent is not necessary.

What is the biggest disadvantage of self-publishing?

The biggest disadvantage of self-publishing is that all of the responsibility falls on you to put out a flawless book that also hits all the hallmarks of its genre — cover design, formatting, editing, and more.

Natalie Saar 10/13/26 Natalie Saar 10/13/26

Meet Mohamed Ahmed Elbossily Mohamed, author of “Caves of Comfort — Part One”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Mohamed Ahmed Elbossily Mohamed.

Natalie Saar 10/12/26 Natalie Saar 10/12/26

Meet Alaster MacGregor, author of “The Wonders of Anna the Droid: Book One, The Stone of Wonder”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Alaster MacGregor.

Natalie Saar 10/11/26 Natalie Saar 10/11/26

Meet Jonathan Karma, author of “The Warrior’s Way”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Jonathan Karma.

Natalie Saar 10/10/26 Natalie Saar 10/10/26

Meet Steve Gipson, author of “I Became the Father I Needed”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Steve Gipson.

Natalie Saar 10/9/26 Natalie Saar 10/9/26

Meet Atom Castle, author of “Hidden in the Drizzle”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Atom Castle.

Natalie Saar 10/8/26 Natalie Saar 10/8/26

Meet Rhyddwr, author of “Ginkgo”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Rhyddwr.

Natalie Saar 10/7/26 Natalie Saar 10/7/26

Meet James Stela, author of “The Ultimate Dry Mix Pantry Cookbook for Beginners”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author James Stela.

Natalie Saar 10/6/26 Natalie Saar 10/6/26

Meet Natalie Morrow, author of “No One Will Find You Here”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Natalie Morrow.

Natalie Saar 10/5/26 Natalie Saar 10/5/26

Meet SERBJEET SIDHU, author of “Patong Can Wait”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author SERBJEET SIDHU.

Natalie Saar 10/4/26 Natalie Saar 10/4/26

Meet Samantha Wise, author of “Evening: For the Fragile Heart & Wandering Mind”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Samantha Wise.

Natalie Saar 10/4/26 Natalie Saar 10/4/26

Meet Ronald Jackson, author of “Beyond the Backstage Door”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Ronald Jackson.

Natalie Saar 8/15/26 Natalie Saar 8/15/26

Meet R. A. Neddow, author of “The Iron Chest”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author R. A. Neddow.

Natalie Saar 8/14/26 Natalie Saar 8/14/26

Meet Victoria C Richardson , author of “Dark Honey”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Victoria C Richardson.

Natalie Saar 8/13/26 Natalie Saar 8/13/26

Meet K.V. Write, author of “When The Candle Went Out”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author K.V. Write.

Natalie Saar 8/12/26 Natalie Saar 8/12/26

Meet Danielle Fuller, author of “Onyx Rayne”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Danielle Fuller.

Natalie Saar 8/11/26 Natalie Saar 8/11/26

Meet D.J. Stein, author of “Eyes in the Florida Skies”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author D.J. Stein.

Natalie Saar 8/11/26 Natalie Saar 8/11/26

Meet Michelle J. Mann, author of “Everything Good That Happened” and “Something Good In The Dust”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Michelle J. Mann.

Natalie Saar 8/11/26 Natalie Saar 8/11/26

Meet Ross Adams, author of “The Siberian Question” and “The Price of Water”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Ross Adams.

Natalie Saar 8/8/26 Natalie Saar 8/8/26

Meet Stephanie Yuan, author of “Iniquity River”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Stephanie Yuan.

Natalie Saar 1/12/26 Natalie Saar 1/12/26

Meet Michael J. Scharen, author of “Saya de Mahla”

Spend a few minutes getting to know independent, self-published author Michael J. Scharen.

Meet Mohamed Ahmed Elbossily Mohamed, author of “Caves of Comfort — Part One”

Meet Alaster MacGregor, author of “The Wonders of Anna the Droid: Book One, The Stone of Wonder”

Meet Jonathan Karma, author of “The Warrior’s Way”

Meet Steve Gipson, author of “I Became the Father I Needed”

Meet Atom Castle, author of “Hidden in the Drizzle”

Meet Rhyddwr, author of “Ginkgo”

Meet James Stela, author of “The Ultimate Dry Mix Pantry Cookbook for Beginners”

Meet Natalie Morrow, author of “No One Will Find You Here”

Meet SERBJEET SIDHU, author of “Patong Can Wait”

Meet Samantha Wise, author of “Evening: For the Fragile Heart & Wandering Mind”

Meet Ronald Jackson, author of “Beyond the Backstage Door”

Meet R. A. Neddow, author of “The Iron Chest”

Meet Victoria C Richardson , author of “Dark Honey”

Meet K.V. Write, author of “When The Candle Went Out”

Meet Danielle Fuller, author of “Onyx Rayne”

Meet D.J. Stein, author of “Eyes in the Florida Skies”

Meet Michelle J. Mann, author of “Everything Good That Happened” and “Something Good In The Dust”

Meet Ross Adams, author of “The Siberian Question” and “The Price of Water”

Meet Stephanie Yuan, author of “Iniquity River”

Meet Michael J. Scharen, author of “Saya de Mahla”

The Indie Authors Digest

Happy writing!