Having sold more than 5 million books, Bella Andre has been a bestseller around the world. Her novels have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 28 times. She has been the No. 1 ranked author at Amazon on a top 10 list that also included J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, and Stephen King. A graduate of Stanford University, Andre has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences, including a standing-room-only event at Book Expo America in New York City. In addition to The Sullivans and The Maverick Billionaires series, Andre also writes the New York Times bestselling Four Weddings and a Fiasco and Married in Malibu series as Lucy Kevin. Andre’s latest, Now That I’ve Found You, is the newest in The Sullivans series.

What advice would you give to a new author who is trying to figure out how to publish his or her book? You have given many keynote speeches on publishing. What advice do you share through them?

It’s really important to have a good team behind you. I have an amazing team of beta readers, editors, proofers, and digital file producers. I work with great bloggers and marketing professionals, and I also have the love and support of my family. Everyone thinks indie publishing means being independent, but it’s not the case at all. While you get to be in charge of your own career and your own vision, you also work with lots of great people to put your book out there.

What are the advantages to indie publishing?

I’ve so enjoyed self-publishing, and I’ve been fortunate to have the most wonderful fans with me every step of the way. I’ve also been extremely lucky to count incredible women and writers such as Barbara Freethy and Tina Folsom as close friends and fellow indie publishers. There are so many things that go into success, but I think my focus and determination to write the books I love writing and that my fans want to read—along with having the best readers in the world—have been the biggest pros of self-publishing for me.

 How do you market your books and your work? Is there anything else you do to distinguish yourself in the marketplace, especially in the crowded romance genre?

I have always taken a really personal approach. Because I had started digital publishing in response to my loyal readers who had emailed asking me for books, whenever I released a book, I individually emailed each and every single reader to let them know about it. Now, thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, etc., I can interact with my readers in other ways that let me spend more time on actually writing. I truly believe that my fans want me to spend more time writing and less time gabbing. So I always err on the side of writing. Then once I’ve met my page count goals for the day, I log onto Twitter and Facebook and answer emails.

Do you feel there's still a stigma associated with self-publishing these days, or do you see that as largely having been erased?

As far as I can tell, there really isn’t a stigma any more, at least not with the people who matter the most: readers. I’ve noticed that they love being able to reach out and connect with their favorite authors via social media and the web, and indie publishing has made that more possible than ever. I’m certainly proud to be a part of it!

Poornima Apte is a Boston-area freelance writer and editor with a passion for books.