Episode Summary: Part 1 of a 3-part self-publishing series — how to write and edit a book before it ever touches Amazon, including the writing-accountability tools and editing software that make the process manageable.
What You'll Learn
- The 4-step overview of self-publishing a book on Amazon
- 750Words.com as a daily writing-accountability tool
- 3 recommended writing tools: Scrivener, Ulysses, and Bear
- Editing and grammar tools worth using before anything gets published
Publishing a book was one of the main goals set in Episode 70: The 2017 Roadmap Show.
Overview: How to Self-Publish a Book or eBook on Amazon
Start writing. Edit and format for digital and print (Kindle, iPad, Nook, and others). Upload to an online marketplace like Amazon. Market, promote, and sell.
Start Writing
Like everything worth accomplishing, the key is simply starting. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
Tool 1 — 750Words.com. A free, simple site built around a daily pledge to write 750 words in a plain browser-based tool — genuinely useful for accountability, building the writing habit, and flushing out new ideas.
Writing Tools
- Workflowy — simple outlining tool, good for lesson plans and structure.
- Scrivener — the main writing and organization tool used.
- Ulysses — a popular alternative, $44 for Mac plus $25 for the iOS app.
Note-taking apps for writing: Evernote (no longer in regular use), and Bear — a free, well-designed writing app for Mac and iOS that's become a genuine favorite.
The three recommended writing resources to start with: Scrivener, Ulysses, and Bear.
Editing & Grammar
Once the writing itself is flowing, cleaning up style and grammar matters. Grammarly is a free Chrome extension (with a $12/month premium tier) that catches readability and grammar issues in real time. Hemingway App is a style checker — free as a web app, $20 for the desktop/iOS version.
Steps to Self-Publishing (Overview)
- Start writing.
- Edit and format for digital and print.
- Upload to an online marketplace like Amazon Kindle and others.
- Market, promote, and sell.
Part 2 covers the actual Amazon self-publishing process, and Part 3 covers formatting and distribution beyond Amazon.
Show Notes & Links
750Words.com…
Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.
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