Tired of trying to spark deeper conversations in your self publishing community? Our Community Question templates make it easy to prompt honest stories, clever tips, and diverse viewpoints. Get ready to inspire meaningful engagement and connect your members like never before.
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Community Questions are a proven way to encourage participation and foster a sense of belonging. By inviting members to share their opinions, experiences, or creative ideas, you empower everyone to have a voice, regardless of expertise or background. This inclusive approach transforms passive readers into active contributors.
Thoughtful questions tied to self publishing tap into shared challenges and ambitions, encouraging members to offer unique solutions and lessons learned. The conversational tone lowers barriers to entry, making it easier for even quiet or new members to jump in. Over time, these questions help surface valuable crowd-sourced insights, strengthen relationships, and keep the community vibrant and growing.
What is the biggest lesson you learned from self publishing your first book?
💡 Example: "What is the biggest lesson you learned from self publishing your first book?"
If you could give one piece of advice to new self published authors, what would it be?
💡 Example: "If you could give one piece of advice to new self published authors, what would it be?"
Which self publishing platform do you recommend and why?
💡 Example: "Which self publishing platform do you recommend and why?"
Have you ever regretted a cover design choice? Share your story.
💡 Example: "Have you ever regretted a cover design choice? Share your story."
How do you motivate yourself to write when you are stuck?
💡 Example: "How do you motivate yourself to write when you are stuck?"
Have you tried both eBook and print self publishing? Which do you prefer?
💡 Example: "Have you tried both eBook and print self publishing? Which do you prefer?"
What is one myth about self publishing you wish more people knew the truth about?
💡 Example: "What is one myth about self publishing you wish more people knew the truth about?"
Share your go-to editing tip for indie authors.
💡 Example: "Share your go-to editing tip for indie authors."
What has been your most effective marketing strategy so far?
💡 Example: "What has been your most effective marketing strategy so far?"
Do you outline before writing or dive right in?
💡 Example: "Do you outline before writing or dive right in?"
What was the most unexpected challenge you faced in self publishing?
💡 Example: "What was the most unexpected challenge you faced in self publishing?"
How do you celebrate finishing a manuscript?
💡 Example: "How do you celebrate finishing a manuscript?"
For those who write in multiple genres, how do you switch between them?
💡 Example: "For those who write in multiple genres, how do you switch between them?"
What is one tool or app you cannot live without as a self publisher?
💡 Example: "What is one tool or app you cannot live without as a self publisher?"
Describe your writing space. Does it inspire you?
💡 Example: "Describe your writing space. Does it inspire you?"
What is your favorite part of the self publishing process?
💡 Example: "What is your favorite part of the self publishing process?"
Have you ever worked with a freelance editor? How did it go?
💡 Example: "Have you ever worked with a freelance editor? How did it go?"
Do you use beta readers? How do you find them?
💡 Example: "Do you use beta readers? How do you find them?"
What genre do you think is underserved in self publishing right now?
💡 Example: "What genre do you think is underserved in self publishing right now?"
If you could collaborate with any author, who would it be and why?
💡 Example: "If you could collaborate with any author, who would it be and why?"
What is your biggest fear when self publishing?
💡 Example: "What is your biggest fear when self publishing?"
Share a self publishing mistake you made that taught you something valuable.
💡 Example: "Share a self publishing mistake you made that taught you something valuable."
How do you budget for publishing expenses?
💡 Example: "How do you budget for publishing expenses?"
What is your favorite way to connect with readers?
💡 Example: "What is your favorite way to connect with readers?"
Do you use pen names? What influenced your decision?
💡 Example: "Do you use pen names? What influenced your decision?"
How do you handle negative reviews?
💡 Example: "How do you handle negative reviews?"
What marketing tactic surprised you the most with its results?
💡 Example: "What marketing tactic surprised you the most with its results?"
What is your process for choosing a book title?
💡 Example: "What is your process for choosing a book title?"
What keeps you motivated during long self publishing projects?
💡 Example: "What keeps you motivated during long self publishing projects?"
Do you set sales goals for your books? How do you track your progress?
💡 Example: "Do you set sales goals for your books? How do you track your progress?"
What is the most rewarding reader message you have received?
💡 Example: "What is the most rewarding reader message you have received?"
Which self publishing trend are you most excited about this year?
💡 Example: "Which self publishing trend are you most excited about this year?"
Do you prefer writing in silence or with background noise?
💡 Example: "Do you prefer writing in silence or with background noise?"
Share your favorite free resource for self publishers.
💡 Example: "Share your favorite free resource for self publishers."
How do you approach pricing your books?
💡 Example: "How do you approach pricing your books?"
What are your top three must-haves for a successful book launch?
💡 Example: "What are your top three must-haves for a successful book launch?"
What is one thing you wish you knew before self publishing?
💡 Example: "What is one thing you wish you knew before self publishing?"
Have you ever participated in a writing challenge? What did you learn?
💡 Example: "Have you ever participated in a writing challenge? What did you learn?"
How do you balance writing with your other commitments?
💡 Example: "How do you balance writing with your other commitments?"
If you could change one thing about the self publishing industry, what would it be?
💡 Example: "If you could change one thing about the self publishing industry, what would it be?"
Pick a question template that aligns with recent discussions, trending topics, or member interests. Post it as a standalone thread, or use it to kick off a conversation in a group chat, forum, or social platform. Tag relevant members or add a personal anecdote to spark replies. Rotate question styles weekly to keep engagement fresh and appeal to different member types.
On all platforms, use images, polls, or short videos to add context or visual interest to your question posts. Pin popular question threads to maximize visibility and invite latecomers to join. Consider scheduling regular Community Question posts to build anticipation and routine participation.
You can tailor the templates to directly address pain points unique to self publishers. For example, post a question like 'Which ISBN provider do you trust for your paperback releases?' or 'Has anyone compared print quality between KDP and IngramSpark?'. Focusing on industry-specific scenarios increases relevance and encourages experienced members to share practical advice.
Yes, several templates are crafted to prompt discussions around marketing challenges unique to self publishing. You can initiate threads like 'What’s your ROI on Amazon ads for your latest release?' or 'Has anyone found success with BookBub Featured Deals?'. These questions help members exchange real-world experiences and tactics that work in the indie author ecosystem.
Modify the templates to ask platform-specific questions, such as 'What’s been your experience with Draft2Digital’s royalty payments?' or 'For those using Kobo Writing Life, how do you optimize your metadata for better discoverability?'. This approach leverages the community’s collective knowledge about each platform’s quirks and best practices.
Absolutely. Use templates to create posts like 'Looking for beta readers for a YA fantasy—anyone interested in an exchange?' or 'What’s your experience with paid vs. volunteer reviewers?'. Such questions not only connect authors but also address the critical self publishing need for quality feedback before launch.
You can utilize templates to start targeted discussions like 'How do you price your debut ebook vs. a series starter?' or 'What royalty rates have you achieved with wide distribution?'. This encourages members to share real sales data and strategies, tackling a common self publishing dilemma: maximizing earnings while staying competitive.
Yes, there are templates that let you open conversations like 'Do you prefer custom covers or premades for genre fiction?' or 'What has been your experience using sites like 99designs for cover design?'. These industry-specific questions help self publishers weigh visual branding choices that directly impact their book’s marketability.
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