SPECIALISED COURSES
Self-Publish Your e-Book Course
Publish Your Book on Amazon with
Step-by-Step Guidance
Learn to publish your manuscript professionally online
Have you got a completed manuscript and would love others to read it? If facing the tasks of layout, uploading content and sourcing ISBN numbers on your own feels too daunting, our Self-publish Your e-Book Course will help you get the job done.
Thanks to digital media and e-readers, never before has the publishing arena been more exciting and accessible to new and established authors who want to self-publish.
This course caters for authors who are tired of the demands of traditional publishers and who want more freedom and higher royalties; creative writers looking to get their work out there; non-fiction writers keen to spread their advice; and anyone else who sees self-publishing as an opportunity to make their mark.
The Self-publish Your e-Book Course Gives You...
Expert, Individual Feedback
Get prompt, honest, detailed feedback on every assignment from an award-winning writer. We focus on your unique writing strengths.
No Peer Reviews!
You will only be assessed by your tutor, an expert in their field. No more guessing and wondering how to write; you'll be guided line by line.
No Automated Marking
We use traditional methods of assessing work, as editors at publishing houses would. No generic feedback!
A Flexible Schedule
Work wherever and whenever you want to. You can easily fit our courses around work and other commitments.
Relevant, Usable Content
Easy-to-digest course notes that capture a lifetime of writing experience, ready for you to apply to your own writing.
Ongoing Assessment
Your writing is assessed continuously as your course progresses.
Fast-Track Your Dream of Becoming a Published Author
This comprehensive course teaches you all the tips, tools and tricks of self-publishing
Seeing your own book in the Amazon bookstore, with a great cover and a dollar price next to it, is a real thrill. It might even tempt you to write the next one!
Your tutor will guide you through the process of creating a professional, sellable product – from cover design to the finished product – as you work through the 25 exercises on this course. By the end of the course, your book will be available for purchase on Amazon – the global leader in e-book sales.
In the Self-publish Your e-Book Course, you will find out:
- how to make your book stand out among the many
- how to avoid the common pitfalls many self-publishers make
- how to edit, format and upload your book
- all the technical and legal know-how
- vital marketing strategies you need to promote your book and achieve sales
Please note: This course has been designed for writers who have already completed a manuscript of adult fiction, non-fiction or children’s literature. It is not a writing course. Rather, it is a practical, guided process to help you publish your first book online.
If your book is highly technical and/or requires specialised layout and graphics, this should be discussed with us first.
'I found much of the course challenging but very rewarding in terms of the knowledge gained. Overall, hard work but very enjoyable. Russel was extremely helpful. I couldn't have wanted more from a tutor in terms of his knowledge of the subject and his promptness in responding to my various questions and assignment answers.'
Robert Kelly, Self-Publish Your e-Book Course
Course Overview
Start your course at any time – applications open all year round.
COURSE FEE
Price includes VAT
Other currencies will be converted at time of invoice.
- UK £ 495
NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS
25
The assignments vary in length.
NUMBER OF MODULES
8
These modules include a 150-page course manual.
COURSE DURATION
12
Work at your own pace – up to a maximum of twelve months.
START DATE: ANYTIME
Working with an individual tutor means you can start the course at any time.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Basic writing skills are essential.
Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required.
No previous tertiary qualification required.

Tutor for this course
Russel Brownlee
Russel Brownlee is an award-winning writer and life coach.
He worked as a journalist before deciding to follow his dream of writing a novel. After years of self-study and writing, he embarked on a Master’s in Creative Writing and completed his first novel, Garden of the Plagues, which went on to win the Olive Schreiner Award for Debut Fiction. It was also shortlisted for the country’s premier writing prize, the Sunday Times Literary Award.
Russel then began following a second great passion – personal development and self-actualisation – and wrote an inspirational non-fiction book, The Discovery of Causeless Joy. After realising that it would be difficult to find a local publisher for the book, he set about exploring self-publishing on Amazon. It was a steep learning curve, but he soon got it published as a Kindle e-book and as a paperback.
The experience left him feeling empowered as an author and eager to impart his vast knowledge of self-publishing to other writers.
Russel tutors the Self-Publish Your e-Book Course and the Coaching the Writer Within Course.
Course Curriculum
Module 1
Editing Your Manuscript
- Introduction
- Why edit?
- Defining the terms – editing versus proofreading
- How to prepare your manuscript for editing
- Where to find an editor
- Briefing your editor
- What can you expect to pay?
Module 2
Designing Your Book Cover
- Introduction
- Kindle versus CreateSpace covers
- Technical specifications for covers
- Design principles
- Finding cover examples on Amazon
- Assessment Exercise: Analyse book covers
- Getting your cover designed
Module 3
Book Categories and Keywords
- Introduction
- Overview of the sales page
- Practical Exercise: Review a book’s sales page
- Two ways people will find your book on Amazon
- Choosing your category or genre
- Choosing your keywords
- Keywords for non-fiction
- Keywords for fiction
Module 4
The Product Description
- Introduction
- The product description
- Product description principles
- Product description formulas
Module 5
Setting Up Your Kindle Publishing Account
- Introduction
- Tax on your royalties
- Login details for your KDP account
- Overview of the KDP console
Module 6
Formatting Your Manuscript
- Introduction
- Formatting your manuscript
- More Amazon formatting guidelines
- The front and back covers matter
- Building your table of contents
Module 7
Publishing Your Book on Amazon
- Introduction
- Pricing and royalties
- Editing your published book
- Viewing your book’s sales page
Module 8
Managing and Marketing Your Book
- Introduction
- Managing your book
- Marketing your book
- Your Author Central page
- Receiving your royalties
What Our Students Say
Being a repeat subscriber of the college’s courses speaks for itself! Russel is an excellent tutor – easily available and a quick responder. A fun, effective and no-pressure way to study.
Overall, I would describe my experience as wonderful! I found the course to be most instructive and gratifying. Russel was always available and an extremely helpful tutor. He was a pillar of support and encouragement throughout the course. He was extremely prompt, and I always felt he went the extra mile for me when I was uncertain of anything. The Writers College gave me the opportunity, insight and guidance that I needed to accomplish my lifelong dream of publishing my novel. I would highly recommend The Writers College to anyone who has anything to do with the written word, whether in a personal or professional capacity.
Get These Additional Benefits
Lifetime Course Access
Benefit from free lifetime access to future course updates and access to our writing resources.
Join a Community of Writers
You will have access to our friendly Facebook community, daily writing tips and writing inspiration.
500+ Bonus Articles on Our Blog
A superb, constantly updated resource with articles on writing and interviews with writers.
Work at Your Own Pace
Our courses work around you. You can pace your course around your busy life.
Work Opportunities
Top students are invited to join our writers and editors for hire service.
Be the First to Know About Writing Competitions
We'll help you keep up to date with the latest competition announcements
Risk-Free 100% Money-Back Guarantee
We are so confident that you will love your course that if you’re not 100% satisfied with the quality of our training, simply ask for a refund within 30 days.
Complete the Application Form to Enrol on the Self-publish Your e-Book Course
You will receive an approval email and invoice within one working day.
*If the application form doesn’t submit, please contact admin and we’ll assist you.
Questions? We've Got Answers
Detailed course notes covering the content of each module will be emailed to you.
At the end of each module, you will be required to complete one or two writing exercises.
Once a writing assignment has been completed and emailed to your tutor, you will receive an assessment, and the module will be considered complete.
Absolutely. You have direct communication with your tutor for the duration of the course. The more questions you ask, the more you will get out of the course.
You will get lifetime access to the course, and you’ll benefit from all future updates and improvements to the course.
For the majority of our courses, only your tutor will see your work. Your work will remain completely private unless you get it published. In the journalism courses, your work might be published in the public domain, but you do have the final say as to whether or not it is published.
Students will receive a Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
You must have completed all 25 assignments.
The course must have been completed within 12 months of registration.
A completed manuscript.
This course requires a degree of computer literacy. You need to be comfortable formatting documents in a word processing program and be able to upload files to the Internet. Email and Internet access are required.
No previous tertiary qualification is required.
Because you will work with an individual tutor, you can apply for a course and start as soon as you want to. There are no specific start dates as would be the case with a traditional college.
An application is usually approved within one working day. Once we see proof of payment, your course will start.
You could be starting your course today!
We allow up to one month per module, but you are encouraged to keep this down to between one to two weeks in order to maintain momentum. You will always be in contact with your tutor, so you can discuss your schedule.
After studying the module notes, the exercises should take between one and three hours to complete.
Cover design and editing may well be done by an outside expert. Please expect delays around this.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive notice of approval and an invoice via email. As soon as we see proof of payment, you will receive the first module. We will also send you your tutor’s email address and your login details. Your tutor will also be in touch to welcome you.
Any work you create on our courses is owned by you. We will never make a claim to anything you produce. We follow the rule that copyright subsists with the creator (you).