My Full Indie Publishing Workflow — Step by Step

A mildly obsessive breakdown of how I get a book from brain to bookshelf

Let’s be honest. Indie publishing is equal parts dream, hustle, and digital paper cuts. Over the years, I’ve developed a workflow that helps me stay focused, prevent disasters (like when I published the wrong file), and get quality books into the world.

This is my whole process—every step, every tool, and every hard-earned reminder. Take what helps you, toss what doesn’t, and hopefully save yourself some headaches.

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Step 1: The Idea and Outline Phase

Tools: Notebook, Google Docs, sometimes Scrivener
What I Do:

• I start with a brain dump. One Google Doc where I unload plot ideas, themes, quotes, random thoughts—whatever floats to the surface.

• I move into outlining, initially loose but then more structured. For nonfiction, I organize by topic, and for fiction, I map out the plot and character arcs.

• I break it into chapters or sections as early as possible. That structure makes everything feel more manageable.

File name: BOOK_Title_Brainstorm_YYYYMMDD

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