The countdown has begun.

Ten days from now I’m going to hit “Publish” and my first fiction book will be available. It’s an exciting time and it’s also nerve wracking too.

Along the way, I’ve learned a lot and I’m sure there’s much more that I will learn. Undoubtedly, mistakes will be made.

I’ve begun to lean on a few self publishing blogs for information. If you’re contemplating self publishing or have taken the step but made mistakes, consider checking out these excellent blogs:

The Book Designerhttp://www.thebookdesigner.com/ Seriously helpful information. I particularly enjoy the monthly eBook cover awards. If you want to know how to present your book and your author’s platform in the most professional way possible, check out Joel Friedlander. His site is packed with useful information on myriad aspects of self publishing.

Smashwords – http://blog.smashwords.com/. Smashwords is a publishing and distribution service used by thousands of indie authors. In addition to an abundance of information on how to create and market a bestselling self-published book, the blog publishes a number of interviews with successful authors. It’s interesting to learn how they achieved results and potentially avoid their mistakes.

Write to Done –  http://writetodone.com/ Write to done is an all inclusive blog about writing. It’s not for self published authors specifically. Essentially if you write anything, you’ll learn something from this blog. I use it to get motivated, remind myself of things I know and easily forget, and to discover new marketing ideas and strategies.

Find a few resources you can turn to when you need inspiration and information. Set aside a bit of time each week (I read industry blogs in the evening when the television is on) to visit them. Consider creating a system to keep the particularly inspiring or helpful information. I keep a three ring binder for all my relevant craft, marketing, and book ideas. It’s an efficient system to stay organized, motivated, and inspired.

Happy writing!