Simply Self Publish: the ultimate self-pub course for indies – Jericho Writers
Jericho Writers
167-169 Great Portland street, 5th Floor, London, W1W 5PF
UK: +44 (0)330 043 0150
US: +1 (646) 974 9060
Ready to publish

Simply Self Publish Course with Debbie Young

from £995
Learn how to successfully self-publish and market your novel – perfect for writers with a polished manuscript ready to take it to readers. Premium Members save 10%.
April 2024
10-weeks
Online

The definitive course on self-publishing

Take your first steps into self-publishing alongside self-publishing expert Debbie Young, who will help you transform from indie-novice into self-pub expert on this 10-week intensive, online course.

 

No other course in the world offers this level of support, guidance, or opportunities to help you take control of your writing journey.

 

Applications for the April course close 4 April 2024 – there are limited places available so apply now to secure yours.

Take control of your writing career

Did you know, traditionally published authors only keep 10% of their earnings from each book sale, while self-published authors take away up to 70%?

About the course

During the course, you will be given at least two assignments each week to complete, which will give you an immediate head start with your self-publishing career. You’ll finish the course with all the tools you need to successfully self-publish your novel, such as how to produce eBooks and print books to professional standards, how to get your books into stores, and how to create a marketing plan and website.

How do I join the course?

Entry to the course is by application only. Simply complete the application form and a member of the team will be in touch to confirm Debbie’s decision. To join the course, you’ll need a finished manuscript that’s already gone through a few rounds of edits, and a fierce motivation to learn.

Ready to take the leap into your self-publishing career? Apply now.

Get to know your tutor

Self-publishing expert Debbie Young is the author of thirteen novels, two of which have been shortlisted for the prestigious BookBrunch Selfies Award for best independently-published adult fiction in the UK. She now combines licensing selective rights for her books to various publishers including Boldwood Books, DP Verlag, and Saga Egmont, while continuing to self-publish. Debbie has more than eight years’ experience as Commissioning Editor of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ daily self-publishing advice blog. She is also an Ambassador for ALLi and has written several books of advice for indie authors.

Download Brochure

Find out everything you need to know about the course, including a full breakdown of pricing and details of how to apply, in our brochure.

SSP Landing Page Brochure Request

Course Syllabus

Week 1 – What self-publishing is and how to use it

We’ll start off looking at the different forms of publishing and what it truly takes to become a self-published author. What does self-publishing success look like and how can you achieve it? We’ll also take a look at the history of self-publishing and how it became so popular.

Outcome: Outline the process required to become a self-published author and start editing your finished manuscript accordingly.

Week 2 – How to make your manuscript ready for self-publishing

In our second week, we’ll learn all the tools to make our manuscripts the very best they can be. We’ll cover the fundamentals of how to self-edit, the differences between beta readers and ARC readers (including when to use them), and how to write a professional blurb. Want insight on professional editing? We’ll also teach you how to choose, brief and work with editors effectively and what each kind of editing involves.

Outcome: Be confident self-editing your work, outsourcing and working with editors and writing a blurb for your own book.

Week 3 – Self-publishing in different formats

So, you know you want to self-publish, but in which format? It’s important to know about the different formats, their place in your catalogue, and the common elements across all formats. But what’s the point in self-publishing if no one can find your book? You’ll need to consider all available publishing platforms and optimise categories and keywords if you want to reach a large audience, and you’ll learn exactly how to do just that this week.

Outcome: Have a comprehensive plan for the order in which you will publish your book formats, including categories, key words, and other metadata to make your book more discoverable.

Week 4 – Production practicalities: formatting and cover design

A professionally-designed book – both cover and interior – matter just as much in self-publishing as it does with traditional publishing. We’ll explore the different production needs for eBook and print and give tips on how to choose, brief and work with a book designer.

Outcome: Have a written cover brief for your book and know how to build a strong working relationship with an appropriate designer.

Week 5 – Distribution options for print and eBooks

With a publish-ready manuscript and the ability to commission a professional book design, you’re ready to explore the many distribution options. You’ll learn the pros and cons of a “wide” (multi-platform) versus an “exclusive” (KDP) distribution strategy, and how to upload both print and ebook editions to your chosen platforms.

Outcome:
You’ll be able to plan the best distribution strategy for your book(s) on launch and long-term.

Week 6 – Author Brand & Website

Wondering what your best marketing tool is? You don’t need to look far – it’s you! Your readers want to know all about you as an author and they will expect you to have a professional author website. You’ll learn how to define your author brand, how to project it in your website and other marketing materials, and how to build a mailing list of dedicated readers – the most valuable marketing asset of all.

Outcome: You’ll have an outline of the content required to launch your own website, a working knowledge of the best tools to help you set it up, and ideas for building your mailing list.

Week 7 – Connecting with Readers & Reviewers

Learn how to attract readers and reviews, how to use positive reviews to your advantage and how to deal with less favourable feedback without losing your confidence.

Outcome: You’ll have a better understanding of reviews and reviewers, of what ratings really mean, and how to mobilise advance readers to get your book off to the best start.

Week 8 – Marketing & Promotion – Part One

With all the knowledge you need to launch a book to professional standards, you’re now ready to focus on marketing to find readers and make sales. Part 1 focuses on optimising your Amazon profile and choosing and using the best social media to reach your target readers.

Outcome: You’ll be equipped to create an effective author profile on Amazon as soon as your first book is published, and you’ll know how to use the most appropriate social media platforms to best advantage.

Week 9 – Marketing & Promotion – Part Two

Complement online marketing by learning the role of traditional media and live in-person events. You’ll also gain a useful introduction to the best paid advertising options for indie authors, including Amazon, Bookbub and Facebook.

Outcome: Understand how to prioritise and implement traditional media, events and paid advertising to build on the reach of your website, Amazon profile and social media accounts.

Week 10 – Where Next? Make Your Intellectual Property Work for You

Self-publishing your first book in ebook and print is just the start of your indie author career. Learn how to make the most of your intellectual property by publishing in other formats including hardback, large print and audio, and in other languages, either by selectively licensing rights to specialists or by project-managing them yourself.

Outcome: You will know how to exploit the full potential of your books in the long term, establishing and growing your indie author career, for the duration of your copyright – usually the rest of your life and for decades beyond (depending on local law in your country of residence).

Why choose this course?

Take control of your writing career and get the confidence and knowledge you need to successfully self-publish your work. You’ll benefit from:

Weekly tutorials

All course content including tutorials, exercises, tasks, and reading lists, will be uploaded to the course platform on the same day each week.

Direct feedback on your work

Each week, you’ll be set at least two tasks to be completed by the following week. Your tutors and/or peers will then give you feedback on your work.

A community of writers

You will benefit from being in a small group (10 students max.), who engage in discussion and peer-feedback every week. Students tend to form strong and lasting bonds, which means the exchange of ideas, friendship and support lasts beyond the course itself.

Indefinite access to course content

Once you’re enrolled, you’ll have full access to all tutorial content permanently. So there’s plenty of time to fit the course around your everyday life and catch up on any bits you missed or want to revisit.

Jericho Writers membership

The course comes with access to Jericho Writers Premium Membership, so you can take advantage of our library of self-publishing resources and discounts on editorial products.

Exclusive discount codes

We’ve partnered with trusted self-publishing contacts and organisations to provide exclusive discounts on their services for our Simply Self Publish students; from cover design and editorial support to pre-press services.

Choose the best package for you

The Simply Self-Publish Course offers our most comprehensive approach to self-publishing your book. But, if you’re looking for less feedback and more flexibility in completing the course tasks, you could benefit from our the CORE package. Our team would be more than happy to help you decide the best option for you over the phone.

Simply Self-Publish Course: CORE

from £995

Simply Self-Publish Course: FULL

from £1995
Feedback from Tutor
End of Course ONLY
Every Week
Weekly Live Webinars
Weekly Online Tutorials
Access to Webinar Recordings
Access to Course Content Indefinitely
Access to Exclusive Discounts from our Partners
Option to Buy Mentoring & Editorial Add-Ons
Premium Membership
3 Months
1 Year

Simply Self-Publish Hall of Fame

We’re proud to celebrate our students’ successes and it’s a joy to see their novels in the hands of readers across the globe. Could you be next?

S M Davies

Simply Self-Publish

Chris Culter

Simply Self-Publish

Nitin Nanji

Simply Self-Publish

More alum success stories

It was the best investment I’ve ever made. There’s nothing Debbie Young doesn’t know about self-pub. She shares her enthusiasm, expertise and vast experience with unfailing patience and good humour – there’s no such thing as a stupid question – and every aspect of the process is covered. It’s intense but very enjoyable, and you will learn how to self-publish to a professional standard. I finished the course feeling empowered and ready to go. Now, a year later, my historical novel The West Rises has been shortlisted for the Selfies Award for adult fiction. There’s no way this would have happened without Debbie’s course.
– Susan Davies, SSP Alumna

We’ve helped hundreds of writers

But don’t take our word for it! Our authors have experience with our editorial services, online courses, and Premium Membership.

Previous

A huge thank you to Debbie Young for hosting such an excellent Jericho Writers course on self-publishing. I have learnt a lot and am excited about trying out my new knowledge with one of my novels soon! I thoroughly recommend Debbie’s course to anyone thinking about making the leap to self-publishing.

Johanna Spiers

Johanna Spiers

SSP Alum 2022

It was the best investment I’ve ever made. There’s nothing Debbie Young doesn’t know about self-pub.

Susan Davies

Susan Davies

SSP Alum 2022 & author of ‘The West Rises’

THANK YOU so much for the last weeks, can’t believe it’s over! Debbie has been such a lovely, patient, and sweet teacher and has crammed us full of very useful info and advice for our writing lives. I must say I have learnt such a lot and had my pilot light relit for writing!

Cathy Atherton

Cathy Atherton

SSP Alum 2022

What I found most useful about the course was that Debbie was able to identify all the things I didn’t know I didn’t know. And that has allowed me to ask a lot of very important questions, to which her replies have been invaluable and have helped me to understand all the processes I need to get my head around.

Max Haven

Max Haven

SSP Alum 2022 & author of ‘The Paths of Guilt’

I found it challenging, enlightening and most of all, practical. Debbie introduced me to stuff I knew about in theory but her course pushed me, and the others I am sure, to take action. She prodded us up to the starter’s gates. Now it’s open the gates and go for it.

Robert Stott

Robert Stott

SSP Alum 2022

Next

How can we help?

If you’d like to know more about the Simply Self-Publish Course, book a call to speak with a member of our team at a time that suits you. We’d love to hear from you!

Frequently asked
questions

1

Do you handle all genres? What about creative non-fiction? What about children’s and Young Adult?

We warmly welcome writers in almost every genre, from very literary to commercial. Our tutors work across a diverse list of categories, including both creative non-fiction and fiction writing. We certainly also welcome writers of YA and MG. If you write for much younger children, the course may be less suitable – but feel free to ask. 

2

Will the online elements of the course be easy to use?

We use an easy-to-navigate online teaching platform, which is incredibly user-friendly so you’ll have no difficulty understanding what to do. You’ll also have access to the teaching platform forums indefinitely, so your course friendships can long outlast the end of the course. If you do need help at any stage, we’ll be on hand. 

3

Do you have bursaries available?

While we don’t have a full bursary available for this course, we want to help great writers get published, and if your personal circumstances make it impossible for you to fund the full price of this course, please get in touch. We can’t make any promises, but we’ll always do what we can.

This year we have also introduced CORE – a more affordable version of the course that includes the course content, the end-of-course showcase and one agent one-to-one session, but without the intensive mentoring and some of the additional benefits you get from the full course.

4

Is this course for UK writers only?

No, we work with writers from all around the world. It’s open internationally for writers from all over the world, and all online calls will take place at Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 

5

I have paid for the course and can’t join, can I get a refund?

If you wish to be refunded for the course, you are entitled to a refund up to 14 days before the course starts, but note that an administration fee will be charged. After this, no refund will be possible. To avoid loss, we strongly advise customers to ensure they are able to take the course on the dates advertised, and that they are comfortable undertaking this online. Should a customer wish to transfer their place to the next scheduled course, please note this is only possible if places remain, and an administration fee could still be charged. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.

6

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for anyone serious about becoming a self-published author. To join this course, students ideally will have a finished, polished manuscript ready to be published, and an eagerness to learn. The course is project-based and requires students to take the lead on their self-publishing journey.

7

What is the application process?

We invite writers from all backgrounds to apply to this course, whatever their educational backgrounds or prior achievements. We do, however, ask that all applicants are genuinely committed to a career as a self-published author.  

If you feel this best describes you, please apply now

We aim to respond to all applications in 3 weeks. All work will be forwarded to the course tutor who will make the final decision on entry, according to which writers they feel show commitment to the course and would benefit the most from the course components.

If you have any questions about the application process, you can email us on courses@jerichowriters.com, or book a call to speak with us.

8

I have a full-time job / family commitments. Can I do this course in my spare time?

Yes. We purposely designed this course to fit in around your other commitments. Bear in mind that we will be asking you to do many project-based tasks that will lead you to publication, as well as engage with teaching material and feedback. If you think you can manage that, we’ll be happy to accommodate you – and of course we’ll be as flexible as we can be. 

9

Do I need to be available at set times every week?

For the most part, you’ll be able to work to a schedule that suits you. There will be one weekly call. All calls will be recorded, so if you can’t make the live session, you’ll be able to watch the replay.  

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