Self Publishing Made Simple – Monique’s Review

For full disclosure, April Cox, children’s book author and the founder of Self Publishing Made Simple, reached out to Kindlepreneur to offer a spot in her 12 week author work group in exchange for unbiased feedback on the course. 

Monique Danielle, of our stellar support team, gladly took the challenge, though she had never before attempted a children’s book.

While this course is specifically catering to children’s books, and therefore may not apply to all self-publishing authors, the guidelines chosen for reviewing courses on Kindlepreneur were met:

• They must have been created by someone who has devoted themselves and their business to eBook publishing.
• The course has to have a good standing with those who have taken it.
• The creator should still be active with the course and updating it so as to reflect new changes in the market.
• The tactics taught in the course should be morally sound, in line with Amazon’s rules, as well as Kindlepreneur's marketing morals.

Before we dive too deep, here are the details on the course itself:

• Teacher: April Cox
• Website: https://www.selfpubmadesimple.com/author-workgroup
• Price of Course: $199 – $1499
• # of Books by Creator: 8
• # Hours of Course Video: approximately 20 hours of self-paced tutorials. In the expanded options, weekly group coaching sessions are also included
• Included Features:
  • 12 Modules
  • Strategy training from April
  • Guest experts detailing advanced publishing techniques
  • Mindmaps, Workbooks, Notes and more
  • Access to recommended resources including illustrators, graphic designers, editors, and more
  • Special events
  • Private Facebook Community

Self-Publishing Made Simple Review

The 12 week author work group from Self-Publishing Made Easy is the ideal setting for children’s book authors who are passionate about their books and committed to releasing a high quality, award-ready book. Whether you’ve written your first children’s story or you’ve already published a collection, April and the experts she invites carefully walk you through everything required to publish your children’s book.

Publishing can be intimidating, and publishing children’s books holds a special dose of intimidation. With a children’s book, you not only have to write captivating works, you also generally have to provide emotionally grabbing illustrations. Your intended audience likely has an attention span of only a few seconds, so every page needs to charm, enchant, and dazzle young minds. No pressure. 

During your 12 week workgroup, you’ll take time to prepare your mindset and your publishing strategy, prepare your marketing approach (after learning what that means and what your options are), and methodically check off every box from manuscript to illustrations, editing, to layout. 

By the end of the course, you’ll not only be ready to publish on multiple platforms, but you’ll also be prepared to dazzle and attract readers through targeted marketing techniques that bring you as much joy to create as your audience will experience as they explore your newest publication.

Every module has a specific goal and supports you through the most stressful parts of creating a children’s book. You’ll have access to videos as well as written guides and workflows, not to mention a team of professionals available for your needs, often at a SPMS discounted rate.

12 weeks may sound like an eternity or a nano-second, depending on your point of view, but every aspect of publishing a children’s book is thoroughly covered and you can self-pace the process as needed.

Pros to SPMS

• Provides mixed media resources to support all learning styles
• Has multiple purchasing options to suit your budget and learning preferences
• Provides you with everything you need to take your manuscript from draft to published in 12 weeks, if you choose
• Covers all aspects of publishing in detail, including writing, editing, illustrating, layout, marketing, publishing and more
• Includes multiple ways to connect with fellow group members for support
• Updated with every new enrollment period
• Access to resources and professionals who will help you produce all the elements needed in a children’s book

Cons to SPMS

• It does not hide or sugar coat anything – there are costs and standards for publishing high quality children’s books, worthy of winning awards
• Is not for authors who want to publish formulaic, low-budget, fast and “easy” books
• Requires significant commitment in order to achieve success (as any high quality book will)

Who is SPMS for?

• Passionate children’s book authors who want to change the world or a even a single child’s perspective with their book
• Dedicated authors willing to put in the time, energy, money and emotional commitment to creating a one-of-a-kind piece of literature for children
• Authors who know they have a fantastic story, but have no idea how to turn that into a fantastically published book
• Authors who appreciate community support and strong, honest guidance (particularly for the options that include group coaching)

If that sounds like you, check out Self-Publishing Made Simple here, and join the next 12 week author workgroup.