With the onset of the digital age, aspiring authors no longer need to rely on traditional publishing houses to achieve success. Now, writers are able to share their stories with readers directly, without the need for a conventional publisher. In this post, we’ll explore the journeys of five highly successful self-publishing authors and the unlikely paths that led them to literary stardom.
1. Amanda Hocking
In 2010, Amanda Hocking was a group home worker that wrote paranormal romance on the side. After negative feedback and countless rejections from agents and publishers, she decided to upload her novel, My Blood Approves, to Amazon Kindle on a whim… and the rest is history. Within a year, Hocking’s first nine books had sold more than one million copies — an unheard-of feat in 2011.
Following her breakout success, Hocking signed a multi-million dollar deal with St. Martin’s Press, and her career has only snowballed since. From a fledgling indie author to a New York Times bestseller, Amanda Hocking proved that self-publishing could lead to serious success, and she deserves her flowers as a pioneer in the industry.
2. Andy Weir
A software engineer by trade and science enthusiast at heart, Andy Weir felt there was potential for a more realistic take on modern sci-fi. Weir decided to take the challenge on himself, and began uploading chapters of The Martian to his website. After readers begged for a more accessible way to read his story, Weir self-published it on Amazon Kindle for 99¢, never expecting more than a few downloads.
The Martian started making waves in the sci-fi scene, which caught the interest of The Podium, a small audiobook publisher. After the release of the audiobook in March 2013, The Martian really took off, quickly rocketing up the charts. A paperback version was released in 2014, and in 2015, the book was adapted into a major blockbuster starring Matt Damon, which grossed a staggering $630 million at the box office.
Andy Weir’s self-publishing journey is out of this world, and should serve as inspiration for any fledgling writer out there. After all, how many authors can say they have a species of tomato named after one of their characters?
3. Rupi Kaur
The poetry market was considered fairly niche in the early 2010s; poetry collections typically catered to a smaller, specialized audience, and struggled to achieve any major success. That is, until Rupi Kaur came along.
Kaur began posting her poetry on Tumblr, and eventually Instagram, as a way to share her thoughts and connect with others. Her short, accessible poems felt raw and honest, which helped Kaur build a modest but dedicated social media following.
Traditional publishing houses were skeptical of her poetry’s commercial potential, but that didn’t stop Kaur, who decided to take matters into her own hands and self-publish her debut poetry anthology, milk and honey. Kaur’s passionate fanbase got the ball rolling by buying the book, and it quickly turned into a viral sensation. It sold millions of copies worldwide, numbers that were unprecedented for poetry collections at the time.
Rupi Kaur’s success is a testament to the power of authenticity — her poetry poured straight from her heart onto the web, and that unfiltered emotion resonated with readers worldwide.
4. Colleen Hoover
If you’ve spent any amount of time in literary communities on TikTok, you’ve likely heard the name Colleen Hoover. What you might not know is that her path to BookTok stardom started all the way back in 2012 with her self-published debut novel, Slammed.
Hoover self-published Slammed with low expectations, hoping for a few reads from her friends and family. You can probably see where this is going — propelled by glowing reviews and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, Slammed became a phenomenon, quickly climbing up the charts.
Hoover capitalized on the buzz by engaging directly with her readers on social media; she participated in book clubs, responded to comments, and maintained a personal connection with her fans, which helped her build a loyal following early on in her career.
Just months later, the release of her second book, Point of Retreat, helped solidify her place in the indie author scene, and she’s been steadily pumping out projects ever since. Her social media savvy approach to book marketing has played a pivotal role in turning her self-published beginnings into a full-fledged literary empire, cementing her status as one of the most influential authors in modern contemporary fiction.
5. Lee Jong-hui
Breaking into the manga industry is tough, and getting an anime adaptation is even tougher. There are only a few major manga publishers, and with so many talented writers and artists vying for an opportunity, the competition is cutthroat. Enter Lee Jong-hui, better known by his pen-name “SIU”, a young artist from Korea that was determined to get his story out into the world.
In 2010, Jong-hui began uploading chapters of his dark-fantasy series, Tower of God, to Naver Webtoon, an online platform that allows independent creators to share their comics directly with readers. At the time, the idea of a webtoon achieving any level of mainstream success seemed like a pipe dream. But Jong-hui’s richly detailed world and intricate storytelling quickly won over fans, making Tower of God one of the most popular webtoons on the platform.
Fast forward to 2020, and the unthinkable happened — a major anime adaptation for Tower of God was announced. The show was a breakout hit, marking a turning point for webtoons in general. No longer tied to traditional publishing routes, Lee Jong-hui’s success helped usher in a new wave of talented creatives uploading their work directly online, making self-published manga more popular than ever before.
Whether it’s redefining genres, building fanbases from scratch, or breaking into new markets, these self-publishing success stories prove that, with enough talent and perseverance, authors can achieve their dreams on their own terms. So don’t wait — the power to reshape your future could be just a few clicks away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Bailey writes about anything and everything in the realm of writing and self-publishing for Reedsy, an online marketplace for indie authors.
