A Curated List of Writing Conferences and Book Festivals for Indie Authors in 2026
Writer’s conferences, book festivals, and book fairs were once considered something self-published authors could only access as members of the public, not as authors. But things have changed, and now these events provide valuable opportunities for self-published authors to learn from industry experts, discover the … Read more »
AI for Indie Authors: A Practical Guide
Whatever your position on AI, there’s no doubt that it dominated the conversation in 2025, bringing significant changes and challenges to the publishing industry. While we are not here to tell you if and how you should use it (despite what AI companies say, the … Read more »
Adapting to the Unpredictable Changes of Self-Publishing
The publishing world has evolved significantly, removing gatekeepers and enabling authors to self-publish without traditional publishers.As self-publishing grows, it has attracted those seeking to exploit its vulnerabilities to access personal or financial information. To protect authors against identity theft and fraud, self-publishing platforms like KDP … Read more »
The Author’s Guide to Hiring an Illustrator for Your Picture Book
You’ve poured your heart into writing a children’s story. You can envision the characters, the colors, the magic that will leap off each page. But there’s one crucial piece missing: the illustrations that will bring your words to life. Especially for many first-time children’s book … Read more »
KDP Requires ID Verification. Here’s What to Do
If you received an email with the subject [Action Required] Verify your identity on KDP, this article is for you. Over the weekend, Kindle Direct Publishing sent out emails for account holders to verify their IDs in their accounts. This is something that KDP has … Read more »
Stop Chasing Book Sales: How Authors Measure Real Success
Most authors write because that is what they feel called to do, but they publish for a different reason. This is why we start off every author journey with a big question: What is your goal for publishing this book? You may or may not … Read more »
Why You Should Give Away Your Book for Free
It may seem counterintuitive to give your book away for free in an effort to boost sales, but marketing professionals encourage you to do it anyway. The reasoning behind giving away your book is threefold: First, you’re seeding copies for potential reviews. Second, you’re increasing … Read more »
Book Marketing Starter for Indie Authors
If the idea of marketing your book makes you nervous or unsure, this video can help you overcome your thoughts and approach marketing as the fun activity it can be.In this conversation, we start from the basis and tackle common questions and doubts many published … Read more »
SCAM ALERT: We have been targeted
A new “company” is contacting authors using our brand and impersonating Luminare Press employees. Please be careful! Recently, we’ve been contacted by people who have received emails from an imposter company calling themselves “Luminare Press.” Fortunately, the recipients reached out to us first to confirm … Read more »
Six Reasons to Choose Indie Publishing (and One BIG Reason Not To)
Thinking about indie publishing? You’re not alone. According to available data from Bowker Books in Print, at least 2 million books are self-published each year. Faster and potentially more lucrative than traditional publishing, indie authors are stepping up to take control of their books. There … Read more »
How Indie Authors Can Market Their Books… For Free
Publishing your book as an independent author means that you’ll be the one collecting the full profits from your book sales—no advances or sharing anything with a publishing house. For most indie authors, this is the most compelling reason to go solo, especially if you … Read more »
How to Get Reviews for Your Book
How do I get reviews for my book? This is the question on most authors’ lips. We know that reviews are important for the success of a book, so most authors try to understand how to collect good reviews that can help them improve their … Read more »
Author Press Kit: How to Build One That Works
Spreading the word about your book through media outlets is a very effective and low-cost way to reach new readers. Most authors don’t realize that podcast hosts, magazine and newspaper writers and editors, and bloggers are always looking for new content and possible guests that … Read more »
Promo Materials for Marketing Your Self-Published Book
Congratulations on reaching this stage of your publishing journey! Whether you just approved your cover or your book is published and available for sale, it’s a good time to consider what you need to accomplish your next goal. If you want to sell or distribute … Read more »
Publishing on Amazon and AI: What you need to know
In the past few months, as Artificial intelligence (AI) programs have become easily accessible, there has been a lot of conversation about what it means to writers. The author community is questioning how to maintain the integrity of published books, and online distributors are struggling … Read more »