We caught up with editor and indie author N S Ford, who is here to tell us all about her Indie Books & Authors Newsletter which is a year old today.

N S Ford is a book fanatic, blogger and cat lover who lives in the UK. She is the author of two cross-genre psychological thrillers, ‘We Watch You’ and ‘They Lie Here,’ plus two short story collections, ‘After the Burning’ and ‘A Strange Belief’.

The Indie Books & Authors Newsletter is a friendly, FREE weekly newsletter on Substack. It’s aimed at both indie authors and fans of indie books. Every issue features new releases in a variety of genres, plus news, reviews and a link to an ebook that is currently free. The aim is to celebrate and promote the work of indie authors, including both self-published and those with very small presses.

I was looking for places to promote my new book and found that, other than blogs, there were very few platforms which will feature your indie book for free. This got me thinking that starting up my own newsletter would be a great way for fellow indie authors to have some free promotion of their work.

The feedback has been great so far, no complaints! Indie authors are always pleased to have their books promoted. Considering that I have limited time in which to compile and publish the Newsletter (I work full time, as well as writing and other things!) I’m happy with how it’s going.

New content is always wanted for the Newsletter! Details of new releases and pre-orders are the main content, so I include a few every week. I try to ensure a mix of genres but it does tend towards fantasy, I’m not sure if this is because fantasy is one of the most popular or whether it’s because I know more fantasy authors than others. I accept all genres except for erotica.

Book reviews are always wanted and I offer a featured promotion at the top of the Newsletter in exchange for a short positive review of an indie book. I’m also looking for positive news to include in my round-up. As I can’t be everywhere at all times, no doubt I miss out on some brilliant news items, so that’s why I encourage readers to send me their news.

Although you can subscribe to the Newsletter for free, there is also the option of paying for subscription, for a very low cost. This guarantees you featured promotions in the Newsletter. The other main way you can support the Newsletter is to spread the word! Share on social media, tell your writing group, your bookish friends. The more people on board, the better!

Subscribe to N S Ford’s Indie Books & Authors Newsletter.

You can find out more about N S Ford in our author interview with her from September 2023.