Writing And Self Publishing | The 10 Best YouTube Channels (2019)

About this video

Provenance: this summary is based on the Arabic-language caption track of the video, which is a coherent full translation of the creator’s English presentation, summarized faithfully here in English. Dale Roberts presents his third annual list of the 10 best YouTube channels for writing and self-publishing, saying this year he applied stricter criteria than in past years: channels must have a long-term relationship with the author community, focus on best practices with no shortcuts, be clearly committed for the long haul, and be run by good people with good intentions. The countdown runs: #10 Lulu Press, hosted by Chelsea Bennett, praised because ‘Lulu University’ teaches writing and self-publishing with practical advice rather than pushing Lulu’s own services; #9 Keith Wheeler Books, with Dale disclosing he coached Keith about two years earlier and is a close friend; #8 Self-Publishing School with Chandler Bolt, whose polished, high-quality videos Dale says inspired him early in his own career; #7 Book Launchers with Julie Broad, noted for enthusiasm and an entertaining green-screen style; #6 the Alliance of Independent Authors, hosted by Orna Ross, described as unpolished and straight to the point with a long list of top indie-author guests; #5 The Creative Penn with Joanna Penn, a prolific author whose nonfiction books Dale recommends; #4 Chris Fox, author of the ‘Write Faster, Write Smarter’ series, whose videos expand on his books; #3 Self Publishing Formula with James Blatch and Mark Dawson, more a podcast than a YouTube channel but with a huge archive; #2 Kindlepreneur with Dave Chesson, creator of Publisher Rocket (formerly KDP Rocket); and #1 Author Level Up with Michael La Ronn, whom Dale calls possibly the smartest person he knows in self-publishing, covering writing, publishing, and mindset. Honorable mentions go to several newer channels he is just discovering. The video is sponsored by Findaway Voices, which Dale says distributes audiobooks to over 30 platforms including Audible, Apple, and Google, and whose Voices Share feature lets authors produce an audiobook at half price in exchange for sharing 20% of royalties with the narrator.

Key takeaways

• Dale’s selection criteria this year: a long-term relationship with the author community, best practices with no shortcuts, visible long-term commitment, and good intentions toward everyone.
• His #1 pick is Author Level Up (Michael La Ronn) for unmatched content across self-publishing, writing craft, and author mindset; #2 is Kindlepreneur (Dave Chesson of Publisher Rocket) and #3 is Self Publishing Formula (James Blatch and Mark Dawson).
• The rest of the top 10: Lulu Press/Chelsea Bennett, Keith Wheeler Books, Self-Publishing School/Chandler Bolt, Book Launchers/Julie Broad, Alliance of Independent Authors/Orna Ross, The Creative Penn/Joanna Penn, and Chris Fox.
• Dale openly discloses a bias on the Keith Wheeler pick: he coached Wheeler about two years earlier and considers him a close friend.
• Sponsor point from the video: Findaway Voices’ Voices Share program produces an audiobook at half the upfront cost in exchange for the narrator taking a 20% royalty share, with distribution to 30+ audiobook platforms.

Episode details: published August 22, 2019 · 13:03 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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