At BookExpo America last week, Copyright Clearance Center business development director Chris Kenneally led a panel discussion called “Self-Publishing: Disruptor or Defender of the Book Business?”

You can watch the CSPAN coverage of the event online. During the session, Carina Press executive director Angela James explained how some bestselling self-published writers succeed by collecting reader emails–but not for sending spammy messages. James explained:

I would [suggest] communicating with your readers.  We have found a lot of self-published authors.  I’ve heard Bella Andre, for instance, speak to this, and also Marie Force, who’s very successful in self-publishing, talk about just the idea of responding to every reader correspondence, being out where the readers are …. I see Colleen Lindsay from Penguin practically shaking her head off – totally agree with me.  Being where your readers are and talking to them and responding to them is actually your best publicity, more than an advertisement, more than just blasting on social media.  It’s actually communicating with your readers and fostering a relationship, because they will become – I don’t like to use this term, but your street team, basically, and they will do your publicity for you.

Novelist Katy Evans has cracked all four marketplaces monitored in our Self-Published Bestsellers List this week, starting with the No. 2 spot at Amazon.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we compile weekly lists of the top eBooks in four major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, B&N, Apple iBookstore and Smashwords. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book.

If you are an independent author looking for support, check out our free directory of people looking for writers groups.

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For the second time this year, Jessica Sorensen has topped our Self Published Bestsellers List with another new adult novel. Check out our What Is New Adult Fiction? post for more about this booming genre.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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For weeks, novelist Randolph Lalonde has led the Smashwords section of our Self Published Bestsellers List with the space opera series, Spinward Fringe.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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Currently selling books from her Disarm series for 99-cents apiece on Barnes & Noble, June Gray swept five spots on our  Self Published Bestsellers List.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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Novelist  J.A. Redmerski took the top spot on our  Self-Published Bestsellers List this week with The Edge of Never.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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Novelist Stephanie Bond swept three spots on our Self-Published Bestsellers List with a 99-cent sale at Amazon this week.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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Molly McAdams charted in two different self-published marketplaces this week with her new love-triangle novel, Taking Chances.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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Novelist Steena Holmes has held a spot on our Self-Published Bestsellers List for weeks with Finding Emma, writing about every parent’s worst nightmare. She donates 50 percent of the proceeds from the paperback edition go to The Missing Children’s Society of Canada.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post and our How to Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets post.

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After a $1.99 Gold Box of the Day sale at Amazon, romance novelist Bella Andre took five spots on our Self-Published Bestsellers list with her series, The Sullivans. The Washington Post profiled her writing career last year.

To help GalleyCat readers discover self-published authors, we have compiled lists of the top eBooks in three major marketplaces for self-published digital books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

We update these lists every week, tracking how writers perform inside these booming marketplaces. You can read all the lists below, complete with links to each book. If you are an author, check out our Free Sites to Promote Your eBook post and our How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores post.

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