This season, give a gift that fuels their passion for storytelling!
As the year quickly comes to a close, it's time once again to begin holiday shopping. Whether you know a self-published author, or you are one, this insightful guide is filled with excellent gift ideas to support an author's path in writing, publishing, marketing, and selling books.
Updated November 19, 2025
Black Friday 2025 is on November 28 this year, and many retailers are offering deals through the weekend and into Cyber Monday on December 1!
Check out these great deals for writers that are available this year for Black Friday:
As a writer, you know that sometimes getting started is the hardest part of a task. But you’ve overcome that hurdle and are a self-published author! Your book is out there for the world to see, but maybe not many people have bought it. Maybe you're staring at the “blank page” of how to market your book. We can help…
Updated October 21, 2025
The holiday season is just around the corner, and a little planning now can set you up for great end-of-year book sales. Ready to make your book stand out from the competition? Here are five essential steps to maximize your holiday sales, along with some helpful resources:
Bad dialogue can pull a reader out of the story faster than almost anything else. If it’s boring, unnatural, or no one can tell who’s talking, they’re likely to put the book down or at least skip to the next narration. On the other hand, good dialogue keeps them fully invested and turning the pages right til the end.
Readers have loved mystery novels for centuries, but what exactly makes for a compulsively readable mystery? What is it that makes someone want to finish “just one more chapter,” no matter what time it is? There are many aspects of a mystery that draw readers in, but a well-planned, slow-roll reveal of clues and evidence will keep readers guessing until the very end.
What is an antihero? Many iconic antiheroes have left a lasting impact on literature and popular culture. Characters such as Walter White from Breaking Bad, Tony Soprano from The Sopranos, and Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo represent the antihero archetype.
By and large, the romantasy genre has been booming for some time, and it doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. The genre offers a mix of magical escapism and romantic relationships that readers are drawn to, and it's attracting fans of both fantasy and romance in droves.
Not only has romance readership itself developed into a full-scale fandom as the landscape begins to look more and more like ComicCon (The Washington Post), but #romantasy videos have more than 800 million views on TikTok. In 2024 alone, one out of every four bestsellers was romantasy. (Bloomberg)
As autumn approaches and the air turns crisp, it's time to rake leaves, carve pumpkins, and indulge in all things pumpkin-flavored. It's also time to cozy up with a good book. Though it's not the only time of year that readers want to dig into a gripping horror novel, many find themselves yearning for a chilling read that perfectly complements the season's eerie charm.
Comics have been around for about 100 years in some form or another and have gained enduring popularity among particular markets. Reading and collecting comic books may be a niche hobby, but those who are into it are truly devoted. Many people aren’t aware of this, but you can self-publish comic books just like you can with novels, children’s books, and almost every other form of the printed word.
