Successful Self-Published Authors: 18 Inspiring Stories

Self-publishing has seen remarkable growth in the past few years, with over 2 million titles released every year. In 2022, self-published authors grossed $874 million in ebook sales, and were discovered to be earning more on average than their traditionally published counterparts.

In today’s market, indie authors are not just surviving, they’re thriving! However, it’s not just about how much money they’re putting away: their stories are often inspiring journeys of perseverance in the face of rejection and doubt, and carving a path when there isn’t one.  

In this post, we'll explore successful self-published authors, from household names to less-famous but equally noteworthy writers. Let’s dive right in.

1. Amanda Hocking 

One of the first self-published authors to earn millions through paranormal romance novels on Amazon, Hocking started writing at a young age, like many writers on this list. By the time she was working in residential care in her mid-twenties, she had already written over a dozen books, many of which she pitched to agents without success. 

As the story goes, her turning point for her came in 2010 when she posted her books on Amazon to make $300 for a trip to see an exhibition about Muppet creator Jim Henson. Little did she know that this decision would change her life dramatically. Her stories quickly found a devoted fanbase and, within a year, she'd sold over a million copies!

Her incredible indie success soon caught the attention of traditional publishers, leading to her first contract with St. Martin's Press for a new series. Since then, Hocking has published over 30 books, many of which have become New York Times bestsellers.

2. E.L. James

Fan fiction has been a key part of reader communities, allowing fans to explore their favorite stories in new ways. By the early 2010s, online platforms like FanFiction.net and Archive of Our Own became a hub for fans to reimagine and expand beloved narratives, like Harry Potter and Twilight, within familiar "sandboxes". One of these fans was E. L. James, who in 2011 wrote Master of the Universe, a Twilight fan fiction that eventually evolved into the wildly successful Fifty Shades trilogy, consisting of Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. Although she initially faced rejection from fan fiction sites due to the explicit content, she eventually published it through The Writer's Coffee Shop, a fanfiction site turned indie publisher. The book was released as both an ebook and a print-on-demand paperback.

Critics might have turned up their noses at the writing, but readers couldn't get enough of young Ana Steele and her spicy shenanigans with billionaire bad boy Christian Grey. The series became a global sensation: it was picked up for re-release by Random House's Vintage Books, sold over 165 million copies worldwide, and had a trilogy of blockbuster Hollywood adaptations. With sales numbers that rival the Harry Potter books, it’s hard to top E.L. James’s level of success!

3. Andy Weir

Few journeys to literary success are as unconventional and inspiring as Andy Weir’s. Growing up with a physicist father and an electrical engineer mother, Weir inherited their passion for science and was a self-proclaimed "space nerd" from a young age. 

For two decades, Weir worked as a software engineer, indulging his love for sci-fi by writing on the side and publishing stories on his personal website. It wasn't until his late 30s that his work began to gain attention, first with his popular short story The Egg and his webcomic, Casey & Andy. In 2011, Weir released The Martian, an interplanetary adventure grounded in hard science.

As the free web novel's popularity grew, readers requested a more accessible format, so he listed it on Amazon KDP for just 99 cents. The story caught the eye of a small audiobook company, whose founders saw its potential and offered Weir a deal to produce an audio version. This move catapulted The Martian to become Audible's top-selling title and shot its popularity into outer space. Random House took notice and purchased the print rights, offering Weir an advance worth over $100,000. Within a few years, the story was adapted into a blockbuster movie starring Matt Damon, which went on to gross millions at the box office. 

Needless to say, Weir no longer writes code to pay the bills, and has since published other successful novels, most notably Project Hail Mary, which is getting its own Hollywood treatment as a Ryan Gosling vehicle.

4. Colleen Hoover

If you visit Colleen Hoover's author website today, you can buy signed copies, an apparel collection, and custom nail designs inspired by her novels. You'll also learn that TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people of 2023, that plenty of her novels were New York Times bestsellers, many of which were adapted for the big screen. 

However, this trad-pub superstar had humble beginnings as an indie author. At 42, she self-published her debut novel Slammed on Amazon. According to the New York Times, she was "making $9 an hour as a social worker, living in a single-wide trailer with her husband, a long-distance truck driver, and their three sons."

Without an agent or publisher, she relied solely on a compelling story that captivated young readers. Within seven months of self-publishing Slammed, she had earned $55,000 in royalties, which she used to pay back her stepfather for the trailer. Since then, she has written many other bestsellers, including Confess and It Ends With Us, working with several different publishers.

A significant factor in her success, beyond her undeniable talent, is her close relationship with her fans. Readers became obsessed with her work, sharing their enthusiasm on TikTok and other social media platforms, which Hoover herself has embraced. This connection has allowed her to become a true literary phenomenon, making her one of the most influential authors in contemporary fiction.

5. Lisa Genova

In 2007, Harvard-educated neuroscientist Lisa Genova spent a year querying literary agents for her novel Still Alice, a story about a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's. Despite her efforts, she faced constant rejections, which made her question her writing ability and whether she was a "real writer." After yet another agent rejected her query, Genova decided to take matters into her own hands: “Okay, then. I’ve had enough of this. I’m self-publishing,” she told the agent. They replied, “Don’t self-publish. You’ll kill your writing career before it begins.”

Ignoring the warning, Genova self-published Still Alice and took charge of her own marketing. She promoted the book on platforms like MySpace, Goodreads, and Shelfari and organized readings at local venues, Alzheimer's care facilities, and book clubs. In other words, she built her own momentum.

After some initial positive feedback, hired a publicist to amplify her reach. Her hard work and strategy paid off: she landed TV and radio interviews, won the 2008 Brontë Prize for best love story in North America, and eventually secured a literary agent. The rights for Still Alice sold at auction to Simon & Schuster for a six-figure deal, and in 2014, it was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore (who won the Oscar for this role!)

Genova has since written multiple bestsellers, including Remembering, a nonfiction book on the science of memory and memories (like your first kiss, or…agents’ rejections!). In her own words, “choosing to self-publish didn't end my writing career—it catapulted it into an incredible journey beyond anything I had imagined.”

6. Michael J. Sullivan 

Micheal J. Sullivan's journey with traditional and self-publishing is full of twists and turns. After writing and pitching thirteen novels in fifteen years and facing over one hundred rejections, he vowed never to write creatively ever again. But after nearly a decade in the creative wilderness, he started getting the urge again. So he wrote a fantasy series, The Riyria Revelations, just for his personal enjoyment and for his dyslexic daughter, without any plan for publication. 

His wife, Robin, encouraged him to pursue publication again, and took over the grueling task of submitting to agents. After failing (again) to find a publisher, they decided to self-publish. 

The Riyria Revelations series quickly gained online traction. By the time he released the fifth book, Sullivan was selling 2,500 copies a month. This success caught the eye of Orbit (Hachette), leading to a six-figure deal to re-release the series in three omnibus editions.

Sullivan's relationship with the publishing world continued to evolve. After a few novels with Orbit, he self-published Hollow World, a science fiction novel deemed too controversial by the imprint. Undeterred, the Sullivans calculated that it’d cost them $6,000 to publish a book, and crowdfunded the project on Kickstarter, eventually raising a whopping $31,000. 

In the years since, Michael J. Sullivan has published a number of epic fantasy and science fiction novels and series, some on his own and some with traditional publishers, becoming a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author. His journey is an inspiring tale about believing in your craft, and a reminder that there's no single path to success in publishing.

7. Blake Crouch 

Early in his career, Blake Crouch released four thriller novels through St. Martin's Press, including Desert Places and Locked Doors. However, after experimenting with self-publishing novellas and other works, he set out to revert the rights of his first books, which proved difficult as certain conditions had to be met (he had to prove that the warehouse was out of stock and that sales were declining).

Once he reclaimed the rights, Crouch hired a cover designer to refresh the branding and republished them under his own banner. Within three months, his earnings from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) exceeded the $6,000 advance he had received for his first novel. Reflecting on this shift, he said: "To be paid monthly to write exactly what you want to write and have absolute control over the presentation is an amazing thing."

Over time, he independently published several other books, many of which were later picked up by traditional publishers. His Wayward Pines trilogy became an international bestseller and was adapted into a TV series produced by M. Night Shyamalan. His latest novel, Upgrade (which was reviewed on Reedsy Discovery) has been praised by the likes of Andy Weir and Diana Gabaldon.

8. Becky Chambers

Like Andy Weir, Becky Chambers grew up with parents working in the space industry, which sparked her early interest in space and writing. In her mid-twenties, while working as a technical writer to make ends meet, she began drafting her debut novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. 

Despite living paycheck to paycheck, she took two months off to finish the book, funding the final stages through a successful Kickstarter campaign. But since she couldn’t land a book deal, she decided to self-publish, if only to honor the support of her backers. The book’s release covered her production costs, but the real big break came when she attended Worldcon (The World Science Fiction Convention) in London. There, by sheer luck (or destiny), she connected with an editor who read her book and offered her a deal with a Big 5 publisher.

And after being re-published, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (the first in the four-book Wayfarers series) became the first self-published book shortlisted for The Kitschies, an award celebrating the best speculative fiction. Chambers’ success didn't stop there — she’s now a two-time Hugo Award winner, a Locus Award winner, and has been nominated for the Nebula Award, among others. 

9. Natalie Barelli

Like many authors, Natalie began her journey with the dream of publishing a novel — specifically, a psychological suspense. After grappling with the first draft, she turned to Reedsy editors Katrina Diaz and Aja Pollock for developmental and copy edits, which helped her get the manuscript to professional publishing standards and launch her career. 

Once Until I Met Her was polished, she self-published it on Amazon, and just six months later, it was picked up by Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint. Since then, her follow-up psychological thrillers have been incredibly well-received, selling tens of thousands of copies. She now publishes under various imprints, like HarperCollins' Last World and Hachette’s Bookouture.

Take a deeper dive to learn more about Natalie’s self-publishing success.

10. LJ Ross

The British publishing scene is famously London-centric, so when Northumberland-born lawyer Louise Ross (publishing as LJ Ross) wrote the first of her wildly successful DCI Ryan crime thrillers, she set it in England's Northeast — and made the decision to self-publish her debut novel.

Flash-forward a few years later, Ross's books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide, and 18 of her novels have hit the #1 spot on bestseller lists. While you'll find her books in almost every English home and tourist shop north of Durham, her influence now extends far beyond her homeland. 

She’s been called “the Queen of Kindle” for her ebook sales success by the Sunday Telegraph. The Daily Mail has hailed her as “the next J.K Rowling” (before that became a controversial thing), and she was the first self-published author shortlisted for the British Book Awards. And she did it all herself. 

11. Mark Dawson

Mark Dawson’s literary career serves as a testament to the power of self-publishing. A lawyer by training (just like LJ Ross), Dawson published his first two novels through traditional means. He later admitted they weren’t given the attention they needed in a competitive market and ultimately “sank without trace.”

Taking matters into his own hands, Dawson turned to self-publishing. A few short years later, Mark Dawson has sold millions of copies worldwide, established multiple series (including his flagship John Milton thrillers), pulls in a seven-figure publishing income, and has become a leading advocate for self-publishing:

“Self-publishing has enabled me to build the career that I always dreamed of having, with the ability to make decisions for my own books that larger organizations might not have necessarily taken. Traditional publishers print thousands of new titles every year, and there was always the danger that my stories would be forgotten — that proved to be the case, and, with no sales, there was no appetite for any more books from me.

"My choice to go it alone hasn’t closed down other avenues for reaching readers, either; I have a print-only deal that sees thousands of my books in stores and I have licensed most of my books to audio specialists who can do a far better job of selling in that medium than I can. I’ve also sold film and TV rights and will have a comic adaptation of one of my franchises coming in the next twelve months. My decision to self-publish in 2012 has proven to be the best I’ve ever made, and I’m looking forward to the 2020s with optimism and excitement.”

Are you looking to replicate the Mark Dawson publishing experience? Why not start by hiring his editor, Edmund Pickett, on Reedsy!

12. Christopher Paolini

As the story goes, Christopher Paolini wrote his debut, Eragon, as a 15-year-old. However, he finished and self-published the epic fantasy children’s novel at 19 with his parents’ help. The young author then tirelessly promoted his book, embarking on a country-wide book tour, appearing in schools, festivals, bookshops, libraries, and anywhere else he could (in medieval garb, no less).

A year later, Paolini was approached by Alfred A. Knopf with a publishing deal for Eragon and the rest of The Inheritance Cycle. The series has since sold over 35 million copies, giving Paolini the Guinness record for being the “youngest author of a bestselling book series.”

Even though Paolini transitioned to traditional publishing, what then became a legendary literary phenomenon all started with a single self-published book. 

13. Francesca Catlow

Francesca Catlow wrote her first novel during COVID lockdowns while taking care of her newborn baby, an injured mother, and chronically ill husband. “I fantasized about escaping to Corfu, so, while breastfeeding my baby at 4am, I started writing The Little Blue Door and set the story there. I didn’t stop for four weeks until the first draft was complete.” 

Driven by a dream of earning a living as an author but too impatient to wait for a traditional publishing deal, she turned to a vanity press. Unfortunately, they did a poor job preparing her book for publication. After much effort (and a few tears) she regained her publishing rights and decided to give her novel the proper chance it deserved — starting with a brand-new cover designed by Reedsy’s Andrew Davis.

From there, everything changed. Her sales jumped from a few hundred copies to thousands, making her an Amazon Top 50 Bestseller and a 2023 Kindle Storyteller Finalist. Her books are now stocked in bookstores, and she’s been invited to signings at Waterstones and indie bookshops. Often set on the beautiful island of Corfu, they continue to receive glowing praise. Despite the initial challenges, she achieved her dream of becoming a full-time author.

Take a deeper dive to learn more about Francesca’s self-publishing success.

14. Rupi Kaur

At the tender age of 21, university student Rupi Kaur wrote, illustrated, and self-published her debut poetry collection, milk and honey. Kaur had already become a prominent figure in the growing “Instagram poetry” movement, and she adeptly used her talent and platform to sell over 8 million copies of her first two NYT-bestselling poetry collections.

In an interview with the Times of India, the poet explained that self-publishing gave her the power to overcome her socially marginalized status: “The literary world didn’t even see me. I was a 20-year-old, brown, Punjabi Sikh woman from a working class immigrant family.” For Rupi Kaur, self-publishing meant taking control of her narrative without relying on anyone else’s approval.

15. Rachel Abbott

Another novelist on this list who built an empire on thrillers, Rachel Abbott (real name Sheila Rodgers) has sold over 4 million copies in the English language alone. She was the first self-published author to ever reach #1 on Amazon and has secured trailblazer status in the indie community. 

Considering her claim that says “[she] wrote the first book for a bit of fun”, Abbott's astonishing career shows that you really can turn your passion into a job and that hard work really does pay off.

16. Hugh Howey

If anyone ever had an unconventional career trajectory, it’s Hugh Howey. Before he became an author, he wore many hats, working over the years as a yacht captain, a computer repairman, and much more. During a stint as a bookstore clerk, he began writing his first novel in the store's backroom. Rather than going down the traditional publishing route, he once again took the road less traveled and self-published his novel through Amazon KDP. 

His sci-fi novel, Wool, was a runaway success, and thanks to the fact that he retained most of his revenue as an indie publisher, he was soon making $100,000 a month on Amazon sales alone. 

Interest in his first book led to sequels and a six-figure book deal with Simon & Schuster. Howey only sold his print rights and turned down much more lucrative deals in favor of retaining his ebook rights and the freedom to self-publish them as he wished. Recently, he’s added a TV show to his list of accomplishments with SILO, a big-budget Apple TV adaptation of Wool. 

Straddling the line between traditional and independent publishing, Howey has managed to get the best of both worlds.

17. Catherine Pettersson

Catherine Petterson's path to publication, like many others, involved a few rejections along the way. Her historical fiction debut, A Daughter of the King, faced numerous agent rejections — until a turning point at the Stockholm Writing Festival. There, she met another author named Catherine, who shared how she secured an agent after working with Reedsy editor Claire Baldwin. Inspired, Petterson hired Claire to do a full developmental edit of her manuscript. Claire's insights into the competitive publishing market helped address issues like low tension, pacing, and plot holes. 

With a stronger manuscript, she began pitching again. When Wild Rose Press, a U.S. indie publisher specializing in romance and historical fiction, requested the full manuscript, they were so impressed that they ended up offering her a deal. 

Her journey taught her the value of working with publishing professionals to create a market-ready manuscript. "There's no doubt in my mind that Claire's contribution made all the difference in securing my publishing deal." Since then, Petterson has remained active in the writing community, founding The Stockholm Writers Festival to help writers "find their path to publication."

Take a deeper dive to learn more about Catherine’s self-publishing success.

18. Zenda Walker

Inspired by conversations with her daughter, Zenda Walker set out to write a picture book to help Black children connect with the unique heritage of their hair. As a hairstylist and keen amateur historian, Zara’s Wash Day allowed Walker to combine her interests and help children like her daughter learn to be proud of their unique qualities.  

With the help of Reedsy designer Anthony Foronda, Walker self-published Zara’s Wash Day to great acclaim, winning the 2021 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Award. In 2024, the book was republished by Running Press Kids (Hachette) with a foreword by award-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o. Its success led to a book deal for the next installment in the series, Zion’s Crown, which features a blurb from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of Antiracist Baby and Stamped.

Take a deeper dive to learn more about Zenda’s self-publishing success.

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If there's one takeaway from all these stories, it's that there are many paths to literary success. As long as your writing is compelling and you believe in it, you should be able to find your audience and, hopefully, carve a career out of it. May these stories inspire you to keep elevating your craft and take bold steps toward achieving your dreams!