High-Quality Self-Publishing Service Marks 20th Anniversary

At a time when independent self-publication has never been more popular, the high-quality Fearless Assisted Publishing service marks its 20th year in business.

“For authors with something valuable to say who don’t have the good fortune to be famous already, publishing independently is a viable and affordable means of launching a book career.”

— D. Patrick Miller

NAPA, CA — In November 2024, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY reported that the number of self-published books rose 7.2% in 2023 over 2022, topping 2.6 million. This is another significant increase for a publishing sector that has more than doubled its output within the past decade. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY itself regularly covers the field in its BookLife supplement catering to self-published authors.

A high-quality leader in the indie field, Fearless Literary, this year reached its 20th-year anniversary of providing a customized “Assisted Publishing” service to writers. Founded by the 12-title author, editor, and literary agent D. Patrick Miller, who also started the independent press Fearless Books in 1997, the service draws on Miller’s broad-based experience in manuscript editing, book design & production, and publicity.

“Getting a book published by a major house is more difficult and less lucrative than ever,” says Miller. “The big publishers would prefer that you have established some fame before they’ll take you on. Meanwhile, the worldwide distribution opportunities provided by print-on-demand and digital technologies have made it much more viable for authors to publish themselves. That way they retain editorial and creative control, earn about five times the per-copy royalties that major publishers pay, and keep their books available for sale much longer. They can also get into print much faster – within three to four months, compared to the 12-18 month publishing window of the majors. For authors with something valuable to say who don’t have the good fortune to be famous already, publishing independently is a viable and affordable means of launching a book career.”

But publishing competently is a complex process, and most authors contemplating an independent book launch do not have many skills at the ready for these tasks. While a few books and a number of online services address some self-publishing challenges, nothing is nearly as helpful as the hands-on assistance and constant, personal guidance of an experienced professional at every step of the publishing process. That is the service provided through the customized Assisted Publishing Program, which includes:
• editorial shaping of manuscripts (if needed)
• design, type, print-file and digital-file preparation
• uploading the finished print book to two major print-on-demand platforms (Amazon KDP and IngramSpark)
• uploading the ebook to a wide e-book sales network including Kindle, Apple, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, and many other platforms
• assistance on post-launch publicity. Every AP project is given an online sales page on the Fearless Books site

AP services are provided on a work-for-hire basis, meaning that after the production fee is paid, Fearless Literary retains no rights or royalties interest in an author’s project. Authors receive all their royalties directly from the sales platforms. Miller, who also works as a literary agent, can offer representation for independently published titles that succeed well enough to be viable for mainstream publishers. The first book ever produced by Fearless for an author besides Miller himself was Gary Renard’s THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE UNIVERSE, which sold 15,000 copies in its first year before it was licensed to Hay House for six figures. It soon became an international best-seller, and launched Renard’s career as an author. Several other Assisted Publishing graduates have used their book as a centerpiece of their new or changed careers.

“What I do differently than other enterprises in the field is to provide up-close, personal attention to the progress of a book,” adds Miller. “I don’t churn a lot of books for high volume, and I’m always on hand to answer questions about a multi-step process that can be confusing for new authors.”

“Fearless Assisted Publishing has been a game-changer for my book project, Pray for the Bear. From start to finish, the personal assistance I received made the process seamless and enjoyable. Not only was I guided through every publication step with confidence, but Patrick’s promotion advice also helped me achieve something remarkable: I was in the black before the book even went to press. In the indie publishing world, where so many projects are passion-driven but rarely profitable in the short term, this success speaks volumes about the strategy and support you receive. I couldn’t be more grateful for the partnership and would wholeheartedly recommend Assisted Publishing to any aspiring author looking to make a lasting impact — both in their readers’ lives and their own.” — Carly Fauth

“I turned my 500,000-word blog into what I thought was a manageable memoir until Patrick transformed it into a compelling book narrative with such subtlety that it still feels entirely my own. His guidance has undoubtedly made me a better writer. Beyond shaping the story, he navigated the complex step-by-step process of publishing my book — not only on Amazon but also with Ingram, making it accessible to any bookstore. His expertise was invaluable, and his services were both professional and reasonably priced.” — Jenna A. Miller, author of The Phenom’s Wife

“D. Patrick Miller delivered an entirely stress-free assisted publishing experience. My spiritual memoir, You Don’t Have to Die to Get to Heaven, launched quickly, smoothly and expertly with an added surprise. Even without much marketing, I have learned my book is selling in Canada, the UK, Denmark, Japan, Germany and the US. I am so thrilled to have an international audience, and by the way, the royalties are rolling in nicely. ” — Sue Pearson

“There was a time, decades ago, when major publishers took the risks of developing audiences for new authors,” comments Miller. “Nowadays they much prefer that writers come to them with some degree of fame already established. For authors with something valuable to say who don’t have the good fortune to be famous already, publishing independently is a viable and affordable means of launching a book career. I’m proud to have provided a jump-start for scores of talented writers through Fearless Assisted Publishing.”

D. Patrick Miller
Fearless Books & Literary Services
+1 510-684-9531
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