Self Publishing Success: 8 Case Studies: How 8 Authors Found Fame and Fortune Through Self Publishing

This short book focuses on eight writers who found fame and fortune through self-publishing. It does not attempt to glorify those writers, their success, or self-publishing. Instead, it shows the work, strategy, ideas, and luck that went into making their books bestsellers.

These stories reveal one particularly surprising fact about success in the world of self-publishing.

All of the authors profiled in this book are self-published authors. All of them ended up signing a traditional publishing contract.

Even Hugh Howey, one of the most vocal proponents of self-publishing, signed a publishing contract with a traditional publisher.

Emily Harstone has done a great service by writing this book. It is not a hyped up book that glorifies self-publishing. Instead, she takes an unbiased approach. Each short chapter follows the story of one book and one author. She doesn’t sell a fantasy. She doesn’t promote self-publishing as the be-all-end-all. She doesn’t demonize traditional publishers.

She also does not pretend that finding success with self-publishing is like winning the lottery. Or that it is just a trend that will go away soon.  She focuses on the details; the steps the authors took that led their book to become a success story. Much can be learned by studying their success.

This book is based on solid research and is for any writer who wants an unbiased view of self-publishing.

I hope you find this book enlightening, entertaining, and surprising.

–Jacob Jans, Editor