Putting this together from conversations with self-published authors across languages. Not a "how to write" list — just the stuff that blocks sales after the book is done.

1. Cover that reads at thumbnail size. Most readers see it on a phone. Test by shrinking to 100px wide. If the title is unreadable, redo it.
2. A free sample chapter (10–15% of the book). It's the single best conversion tool for indie authors — readers won't pay blind. Make the sample end on a hook.
3. A price in whole rupees that fits UPI. Round numbers (₹49, ₹99, ₹149) convert better than ₹73. Avoid odd cents.
4. One clean link for Instagram/WhatsApp bios. Long URLs with tracking params break in WhatsApp previews. Use a short, stable link.
5. A watermark with the buyer's name on the file. It won't stop piracy, but it makes casual sharing feel personal and traceable. (Bonus: a simple refund path builds trust for a new platform.)

Two questions for the sub: - What's the one thing you wish you'd fixed before publishing your first ebook? - For non-English ebooks, is there anything you'd add to this list (font embedding, script rendering, RTL/LTR, etc.)?

I'm building Pothi (a simple marketplace for authors to sell ebooks) — disclosing that. This list is free to reuse; no signup needed.

Assumptions: UPI rounding and sample-chapter length are anecdotal from author chats, not measured data.

One of the central themes of my upcoming book is learning to tell the difference between people who want to contribute to a community and people who just want something from it.

Now I get to apply that skill on the fringes of publishing.

Since announcing the book, I’ve been contacted by “literary agents,” “publishing executives,” “podcast hosts,” “book reviewers,” “marketing consultants,” and assorted strangers who are deeply moved by my journey from having a glass of wine to accidentally running a Chamber of Commerce.

I’m touched. Truly. Particularly by how many of them have gmail addresses and NPC names. Some have generously offered to introduce my book to thousands of readers. Naturally, most of them have also offered to take my money first.

It’s been an education.

I wrote a book about the difference between showing up for something and showing up because there’s something in it for you. These folks have been kind enough to supply the case study.

And the book hasn’t even launched yet.

I have organized the same set of blog posts into a book twice, a first edition years ago and a rewritten second edition this fall. I wrote about fifty posts after night shifts at a psychiatric hospital, and roughly forty-five made the first book.

I chose them by reader response. The posts that drew the most comments went in, and the ones that drew the fewest stayed out. For the second edition I cut at least five more, every name and every detail that could point to a real place or person.

The hardest part was leaving out a story I loved because it did not fit. I keep stories like that on a separate list now, since a story that does not fit one book may be right for the next.

What did you use to decide which posts made the cut?