Welcome to the SPF Weekly Write-Up, where each Wednesday we collect together the self-publishing news of the week so you don’t have to.

This week: Mashable runs an article about successful self-published authors, Quentin Blake self-publishes his illustrations, and the 101 course opens tonight.

Successful Self-Pub Authors, by Mashable

As much as self-publishing has grown over the past few years, there’s still a certain stigma surrounding it, perpetuated by both some in the traditional publishing business and well-meaning (or spiteful) friends and family who think self-publishing is either vanity publishing or the last resort for the artistically-deficient.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by website Mashable, which interviewed three successful indie authors to demonstrate that going the DIY route deserves far less flak than it sometimes receives.

LJ Ross, Rachel Abbott and Adam Nevill are featured. No sign of Mark Dawson though, so ultimately a wasted opportunity.

Just kidding – you can read their article here.

Quentin Blake is Self-Publishing His Illustrations

Probably best known for his work on Roald Dahl’s classic stories, illustrator Quentin Blake has decided to self-publish a series of 20 books featuring his drawings.

The QB Papers came about because Quentin was producing thematic sequences of drawings too quickly for them to be showcased at exhibitions. Fifteen are out now, with the last five being released in May 2020.

They’re for sale directly from Quentin Blake’s website, though they will also be distributed into stores by Thames & Hudson. Sort of like self-publishing with a boost.

You can read more about the project over at his website, here.

Self Publishing 101 Opens Tonight

That’s right – the flagship Self Publishing 101 course opens again tonight! Learn everything from finding the right keywords to setting up a mailing list to running a successful lead generation ad, plus much more.

It’ll only be open for three weeks. Check out some of our successful alumni (and then sign up to hear more) over here.

Tom Ashford

Tom Ashford is a professional copywriter, author of numerous dark fantasy and sci-fi novels, and the Head of Content at the Self Publishing Formula Blog. His books include the Blackwater trilogy and the Checking Out series.

He lives in London with his wife, in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Find out more about Tom here.