It’s the beginning of the year so now I have to make all my 2026 self-publishing content!!
That’s my way of saying this is the first over several videos i’ll be releasing this month (and next month) to bring you the latest updates to the self-publishing world. If you’re new to self-publishing, that’s cool. This is where to start. If you’ve been tinkering for a while, I’ve got updates.

But if you are thinking of self-publishing at all in 2026, I want you to watch this first. I’m going to go into technical items and talk about platforms and littel things to watch out for in the coming weeks. Today we’re talking about the things you need to have in mind before you decide if you’re going this path or not.

Alright, let’s dive right in to the things I want you to consider before you decide if you are going to self-publish your book or not.

Way more options now than ever. Do your research. Make your plan. I talk with so many authors who are new to self-publishing and have only ever heard of Amazon KDP and when they express their frustrations or things they want instead I’m just thinking, okay this other platform could solve all of that and still get your book on Amazon. I have tons of videos and books to help newbie self-publishing authors. Even if you’ve been traditionally published and you are now shifting to self-pub, do your research. Maybe start with your questions, start with that you want for your book and build from there. I love that you found this video, I hope all my videos and books can help you. But I may not be the person you relate to the most, the way I explain it, or the type of books I publish may not match what you need and are looking for. Guess what, there are tons of other authors out here trying to help. I promise you will find the answers and the best solution for you, but you gotta look.

This next part is even more important. Lean in, closer, closer. Keep your eyes on YOUR PAPER. This is where I see SO MANY authors get tripped up. They made a plan. The bool is schedule to launch. And then… well I saw this one author was going this other thing and that looks cool so maybe I should do that. The time to stress test your plan was BEFORE you uploaded. Sit with it. Because if you have shiny object syndrome and want to keep copy-catting others and their books, your book is going to get lost. Yes, learn from others. Adapt as time goes on. But don’t try to exactly mimic someone else or expect the same results when you have a different book.

Self-publishing is not an escape hatch if you sent a few queries and didn’t get any hits. If your goal for your book is traditional publishing, if you have done your research and that is your plan, don’t just throw in the towel after three no-reply queries. Are you kidding me? First of all, if you view self-publishing as your consolation prize or back-up plan, you will self-sabotage every step of the way. I guarantee it.
Also, it takes an average of 100 queries for an author to sign with an agent. You need a strategy. You need a plan to optimize your query packet when you aren’t getting hits. You can and should query more than one agent at a time. I have videos on this, too. But if three no-reply queries has you willing to call it quits on traditional publishing, just wait until you try to sell your self-publishing book at a market and people walk by your table for the first thirty minutes. Rejection is part of every creative endeavor.

Connect with other authors. It’s a lonely business otherwise. Also, they can be your best promoters and can share their tips and what works for them. So if you are looking down on self-publishing and therefore your peers, that’s not gonna go well. Also, this can feel like the hardest part. Because you have a life and a day job and a family and a writing habit. But the one thing I wish I did earlier was invest in in-person local to my area author friendships. I love my online author friends. No one is going to shout you louder than your author bestie, you’ve never met in real life. But you need an in-person network too.

If you want this to generate money, you have to treat it like a business. Businesses have to do accounting, customer service, and marketing. They have a social media presence. The age of authors saying, ‘Oh I can’t use social media.’ I’m sure those cat videos would beg to differ. Okay. They see you watching. If you aren’t excited enough about your book to be able to pitch it to people on social media or in person, why should another human being spend their precious time (and money) to read your book?

Ok what questions do you have? I answer 99% of my comments (the creepy ones get deleted) so if I already have an answer I’ll send you that link or I’ll make a new video for it.