HeyJaredIndie Author Blueprint
Michelle Rayburn, author/publisher, editor, and book designer, shares valuable insights tailored for writers who have a base knowledge of publishing. Practical tips for indie publishing success and managing your writing business like a pro.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 11
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- Sep 30, 2026
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- Jul 10, 2026
Latest issues
Before You Use Kindle Create (opens the original)
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I’m realized that giving advice comes with a bit of backpedaling sometimes. When authors ask me what I recommend for DIY formatting software, I toss out the things I have heard about. Some work only on Mac. Others have significant limitations or complicated processes that come with a learning curve. I’ve often suggested that someone try Kindle Create. Why? Because it’s free, and fairly easy to use. But after walking through a few challenges with a client, I now see that it ought to have some war
“Writing Off Social” Recommended Vendors List (opens the original)
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I often struggle when trying to recommend the right professionals for indie authors who are not the right fit for my schedule or skills. This week, I learned about a new resource while listening to the podcast, and I want to share it with you. By the way, I highly recommend the podcast!From cover design to formatting (typesetting), editing, and graphics, there are many professionals listed, so bookmark it if you’re collecting options.Vendor List from Writing Off SocialA
The Invisible Art of Typesetting (opens the original)
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I see a lot of discussions online about how much it should cost an indie author to hire someone to help with the editing and design of books. The problem with most of the responses is that they are rooted in a lack of information. For example, can you find someone who charges under $100 for formatting your book’s interior? Yes. But there is no way that person is spending the 10-25 hours another person will spend on your book. Let me explain the difference. It’s possible to take a Word document,
Why I Hate AI Detection Tools (opens the original)
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I wrote an article quite a few months ago that lived in my draft folder, and I wanted to polish it up before sending it to a publication’s editor. Since I’ve had a few challenges on Substack with Pangram falsely flagging some of my content, I decided to run it through Pangram before sending, just to see what the results were. I have no idea if editors today are using tools to automatically flag AI content, so I was curious.Imagine how frustrated I was when one AI detector said it was largely AI
Beyond One Book to a Body of Work (opens the original)
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When you’re publishing your first book, it’s easy to become so focused on it that you don’t think beyond launch day to your next project. “Next project?” you say. “I’m still recovering from all that this book took out of me.”I hear you. But there is a question worth asking, even before your first book is released if not immediately after.If readers like this book, what will I give to them next?It isn’t as if you need to have ten books all planned out. But what if you haven’t given it a thought?
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