TL;DR: Self Published by Amanda Frances is an 8-module course on writing, publishing, and marketing your book. It pairs author mindset work with hands-on mechanics like editing, audiobook recording, and book launch strategy, and adds a bonus marketing module from Bryan Cohen.
How Self Published Compares to Other Book-Writing Programs
Most book-writing programs we look at on UDCourse stick to mechanics: outline, draft, format, upload, run ads. Self Published front-loads something the others skip, a full module on author identity, before it touches the technical work. That is the dividing line here. If you want a pure how-to with no mindset layer, this is not the closest fit. If you stall at the writing-and-shipping stage as much as the formatting stage, the blend is the point. Reaching for a writing-first comparison like Jon Morrow’s Book In A Weekend helps you weigh it.
What Self Published Actually Covers
Eight modules carry the course in 2026: The Big Idea, The Writing Process, How to Publish Your Book, Best Selling Author Energy, Recording Your Audiobook, Marketing and Monetizing Your Book, Personal Essay and Memoir Writing, and Serializing Success on Substack.
The Mindset-Plus-Mechanics Approach
The structure alternates on purpose. A practical module (publishing, audiobook, marketing) sits next to an identity module like Best Selling Author Energy. Amanda Frances positions herself as the “money queen,” and that framing is hers, not ours. In practice the energy modules are about finishing and shipping, the place most would-be authors quit. The mechanics modules then handle the parts that scare people: formatting, recording, and getting the book in front of readers. A broader publishing path like James Blatch’s Self Publishing Launchpad breaks the same sequence down further.
Who Teaches It: Amanda Frances, Cara and Bryan Cohen
Amanda Frances is a best-selling author who built her platform on mindset and money work. She co-teaches the course with Cara on the practical writing and publishing side. The bonus marketing module comes from Bryan Cohen, a book-marketing specialist credited with selling over 140,000 books. Cohen’s segment is the strongest standalone piece for anyone whose real gap is launch and ads rather than the writing itself. If author credibility matters to you, the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov is worth reading before you publish.
Who Self Published Is Best Suited For
This fits first-time authors who can write but freeze at publishing, and creators who want one path covering ebook, print, and audiobook. The memoir and personal-essay module makes it a fit for people writing from their own story. Who it is not for: seasoned self-publishers with a dozen titles out already, or anyone who finds mindset language a distraction. Those buyers will skim half the modules. A leaner mechanics-only route like Tim Denning’s Amazon Book Publishing Shortcut may suit them better.
Is Self Published the Right Self-Publishing Path for You?
Self Published earns its place for one reason: it treats finishing the book as a real obstacle, not an afterthought, then backs that with usable publishing and marketing steps. If you have shipped books before, it likely repeats what you know.
Self Published: Common Questions Answered
What is Self Published by Amanda Frances?
It is an 8-module online course on writing, publishing, and marketing a book, mixing author mindset modules with practical how-to on editing, audiobook recording, and launching.
Who is Self Published for?
First-time and aspiring authors who can write but stall at publishing, plus creators writing memoir or personal essays who want one path through ebook, print, and audio.
Is Self Published worth it?
If your block is finishing and shipping as much as formatting, the mindset-plus-mechanics structure does real work, and Bryan Cohen’s marketing module adds standalone value. Seasoned authors will find less new here.
Is Self Published legit?
Yes. It is a genuine course from Amanda Frances, a best-selling author, co-taught with Cara, with a bonus module from book-marketing specialist Bryan Cohen.
How long does Self Published take?
It is self-paced across eight modules. Most people move through it over several weeks while drafting alongside the lessons rather than rushing the whole thing.
What makes Self Published different?
It builds author identity work into the curriculum next to the technical steps, and bundles audiobook recording and Substack serialization that most book courses leave out.
Does Self Published cover audiobook creation?
Yes. The Recording Your Audiobook module walks through producing your own audio edition, one of the less common inclusions in author programs.
Does Self Published cover memoir writing?
Yes. The Personal Essay and Memoir Writing module focuses on shaping your own story, useful if your book draws from personal experience.
