self-publish

American

[self-puhb-lish] / ˈsɛlfˈpʌb lɪʃ /

verb (used with or without object)

to publish or issue (one's own book or other material) independent of an established publishing house.

The poet plans to self-publish his next work and promote it himself.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of self-publish

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She hopes to write a book expanding on the ideas in the show and, separately, self-publish the script to sell in the theater lobby, afterward.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Authors can self-publish their books nearly instantaneously through Amazon and may designate the content as available for the Kindle Unlimited service.

From Reuters • Apr. 18, 2023

The lengthy proceedings inspired MacDougall to self-publish a coloring book on divorce.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2023

Some people write books and self-publish them on Amazon.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2023

Authors began creating websites to self-publish their work or post it while waiting to find a publisher.

From A Short History of EBooks by Lebert, Marie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023