Last week I posted the best indie publishing articles and podcasts I read and listened to over the past year. Today I’ll be featuring the best indie publishing books I read in 2018.

Write to Market, by Chris Fox

This book has generated a lot of controversy since its release, but mostly because people misinterpreted “Write to Market” as “Write to Trend.” Instead, writing to market is really about identifying a genre with a lot of readers that you also enjoy writing in. Fox’s non-fiction books are required reading for new indie authors and you should also check out his Youtube channel, where he posts weekly videos on a variety of indie publishing topics.

Newsletter Ninja, by Tammi Labrecque

A whole book about email newsletters? Yes and it’s one every writer should read, even if you don’t have a book out yet. Despite any misgivings you might have about email, it’s still the most effective way to reach your readers. But you can’t just send out an email announcing your new book once a year and expect people to willingly fork over their money. Labrecque walks through why providing value to your readership will pay dividends down the road.

Strangers to Superfans, by David Gaughran

This book covers the five steps of what Gaughran has coined “The Reader Journey” from discovery of a new author to becoming an evangelizing superfan. While Strangers to Superfans is a good resource at the 20,000-feet level, you should definitely subscribe to Gaughran’s weekly newsletter, where he offers more granular advice on the various ad platforms.