Every November an international phenomenon, spurred on by a love for human creativity, challenges thousands across the globe to try their hand at writing a novel. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) presents a somewhat untraditional, incredibly exciting, and definitely challenging approach to championing creative writing.

It’s National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo) and we’re celebrating in spectacular fashion! IngramSpark sponsors NaNoWriMo every year with free title setup because we believe writing and publishing should go hand-in-hand! If you write it and you mean it, you should publish it. Here are a few ways you can get involved with NaNoWriMo and take advantage of IngramSpark’s promo code for free title setup!

One thing many indie authors come to terms with is that they’re not just publishing a book, they’re starting an author business. It is one thing to say you want to publish a book and become a published author but another to actually do it. And with advancements in technology and resources, many people can publish a book, but it takes a bit extra to start your own book publishing business, and a successful one at that.

In the past, getting independent booksellers to shelve self-published books was a difficult prospect. Indie booksellers were reluctant to sell self-published books, based on the old bias that self-published meant poor content or poor quality. But that was then and this is now. Not only have self-published authors upped their game when it comes to content, but the quality of self-published books is highly competitive with those of traditionally published books. So just how do you go about selling your book to independent bookstores?

Want to instantly capture readers? No matter who you are or what genre your book falls into—nothing beats getting engrossed in a book description that leaves a reader wanting more. Short and long book descriptions both serve a purpose—to make you and your book look good. Before you start writing, here are a few things you need to know.

Authors can self-publish a book in many ways, from print publishing to digital publishing. No matter the format you choose, providing an ISBN is an important component to publishing your book.

It has to be said that print on demand (POD) has changed the way the publishing industry does business. But before we talk about the wonders of POD, let’s define what it is. In a nutshell, it's the process by which a book is printed when an order for that book is received. With POD there’s no inventory being stored or anticipated demand being measured—get a book order, print a book, one at a time.

Authors who decide to self-publish a book are effectively taking on the role of a business owner if the end goal is to make money from book sales. When you decide to self-publish, you’re no longer a writer, or even an author, but a publisher. Although there is a learning curve when you make the leap from author to publisher, it doesn’t have to be intimidating; it can actually be fun with the right tools. Here’s what you need in order to become a publisher:

The IngramSpark self-publishing podcast is back and better than ever! Join us for Season 2 of Go Publish Yourself from our website or your favorite audio platform: iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and beyond! New episodes release every Tuesday during a given season.

Experts in the Australian writing and independent publishing community are coming together for the first ever Indie Publishing Forum in Australia. These discussions are open to the public—anybody in Australia interested in writing or publishing their stories. And it's all in support of a great cause.