Publishing Resources

Smashwords Self-Publishing

Upload your book to Smashwords and make it available for distribution to major eBook retailers and libraries!
Harford County Public Library has partnered with Smashwords! Now authors can connect with all tools available for self-publishing. Using the Smashwords platform and free advice contained on the website and in the Smashwords Style Guide authors can publish their works for free and make them available to a worldwide audience that includes public libraries.

Authors that use the Harford County Public Library portal will have their work tagged as originating from the Harford County Public Library. Once these works are available via library distributors, such as Overdrive and Baker and Taylor, Harford County Public Library will have the ability to consider them for purchase as part of its eBook collection. Materials that are purchased will have to meet the Library's existing Materials Selection Policy.


Children's Book Council website has a section dedicated to answering the question, "How do I get my book published?"

Blurb: Where Your Ideas Become Great Books
Highlighted in Publishers Weekly, Blurb is a complete publishing platform, with free book creation and layout tools that allow authors to publish print books, magazines, and ebooks in a wide range of formats.

Kindle Kids Book Creator
Kindle Kids' Book Creator is a free tool for authors and publishers to turn their illustrated children's books into great-looking Kindle books. Kindle Kids' Book Creator makes it easy for authors and publishers to import artwork, add text to pages, and preview how their book will look on Kindle devices. 

SwoonReads (Macmillan)
These two publishers are looking for unsolicited manuscripts that have a stamp of reader's authority.  invites writers to post their manuscripts for visitors to read online. Readers rate the work, comment on it, assist with problem areas, etc.  And publishers keep an eye on the submissions and how they do in the reader's eye. 

Each site has its own rules for posting and reading submissions but both are committed to reading the top rated postings, looking for the next breakout, best-selling author!  These sites are free to the authors.