We are going to reveal and explore 5 self-published or independently produced books that focus on improving your odds and helping readers understand the strategy behind blackjack.

Why are blackjack strategy books so popular?

Blackjack is one of the casino games that has a relatively low house edge when players use optimal strategy. This means that disciplined play and mathematical decision-making can significantly improve results. For beginners who want to understand the game before reading advanced strategy books, it can help to first learn how to start playing online, where many blackjack platforms allow players to practice the fundamentals in a lower-pressure environment.

Many books focus on tools such as basic strategy charts, bankroll management, and card counting systems to reduce the casino’s advantage. Because gambling is regulated and can carry financial risks, many players also look to organizations such as the Responsible Gambling Council, which provides research, education, and guidance aimed at promoting safer gambling practices in Canada.

For anybody looking to go deeper than casual gameplay, books are a valuable way to learn these concepts. For readers interested in how these blackjack guides reach the market, explore the pros and cons of self-publishing vs traditional publishing, especially since many gambling strategy books are released independently by experienced players.

1.Winning Blackjack by Ron Witman

A clear example of a self-published blackjack guide is Winning Blackjack by Ron Witman. This book was originally self-published in Las Vegas in 1981, reflecting the independent tradition common among gambling authors of that era.

Witman’s work focuses on practical blackjack play rather than pure theory. The book emphasizes:

• Reading the blackjack table conditions
• Adjusting betting strategies
• Managing your bankroll during long casino sessions

Because it was independently produced, the book’s tone is informal and experiential. It is more like advice from an experienced player than a mathematical textbook.

2.Blackjack: The Basic Strategy Book – 1001 Problems and Drills

A modern example of an independently published blackjack book is Blackjack: The Basic Strategy Book – 1001 Problems and Drills. This guide is designed to help players memorize optimal decisions through repetition. Instead of long explanations, the book provides hundreds of practice hands so readers can learn exactly how to respond in common blackjack scenarios.

This approach is useful because mastering blackjack requires automatic decision-making under pressure, which drills can help with.

3.Blackjack Blueprint by Rick Blaine

Blackjack Blueprint is a self-published blackjack guide that mixes storytelling with strategy. The author blends real casino experiences with tactical lessons about:

• Advantage play
• Card counting systems
• Team blackjack strategies

Compared with purely mathematical books, this style makes the concepts more accessible to beginners while still offering insight into how professional players think at the table. Guides like this show how self-published books often prioritize real-world experience over academic analysis.

4.Modern Blackjack by Warren Wattenberger

It is not always marked as self-published in the traditional sense, but Modern Blackjack by Warren Wattenberger represents the independent expert model of blackjack publishing.

Wattenberger, a well-known developer of blackjack analysis software, created a strategy guide that focuses heavily on statistical modelling and simulation. The book covers topics such as:

• Probability-based decision making
• Variations in casino rules
• How deck counts influence strategy

Books like this show how modern independent authors often combine software analysis and self-publishing platforms to distribute niche gambling knowledge.

5.Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzey

Blackjack Bluebook II is another influential blackjack strategy guide that circulated widely through out gambling communities and specialty publishers.

The book offers a practical approach to winning at blackjack, covering everything from basic strategy to advanced techniques such as card counting and advantage play. It aims to help readers understand both the mathematics and psychology of casino gambling.

It is not purely self-published in every edition, but it reflects the independent gambling author tradition, in which experienced players share their knowledge outside mainstream publishing channels.

Are there really so many self-published blackjack books?

The rise of print-on-demand platforms and digital publishing has made it easier than ever for independent authors to release blackjack guides. Today, hundreds of lesser-known titles are available online, ranging from short strategy manuals to detailed mathematical analyses.

Before publishing any strategy guide, many authors also go through a revision process to polish their manuscripts, which is why understanding the difference between editing and proofreading can be an important step in preparing a book for release.

What sets self-published blackjack books apart is their perspective. Many are written by:

• Professional gamblers
• Casino advantage players
• Amateur mathematicians

Not every self-published strategy may work in real casino environments, but these books often provide fascinating insights into how players attempt to gain an edge.

Conclusion:

There may not be thousands of famous self-published blackjack books, but there are definitely enough to build a strong reading list. Independent authors continue to contribute new strategies, perspectives, and experiments that keep blackjack literature evolving.

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In this context, an author blog can help you build an audience and promote your publications. Yet, the strategy may backfire if not done properly. Here are 8 mistakes to avoid if you want to run a successful author blog.

Why create an author blog?

The first thing you must be wondering now is why to do this at all. An author blog has two main purposes: audience construction/engagement, and promotion.

Traditionally published authors usually have these pages for marketing purposes, like the case of George Saunders (Penguin Random House). They are supported by the publishing house to promote the author and his/her work. Audience construction is not the main goal here as the house has its own followers.

But the self-publishing industry is a different story. Promotion, in this case, is secondary. These authors first need to create a community of followers who will eventually buy their books. Thus, creating a blog can help achieve this and other goals too.

Advantages of an author blog

• Generate traffic to your website
• Sell your books
• Get followers and readers
• Get subscribers
• Create a database of followers
• Develop a brand (or reputation as an author)
• Find work and new opportunities

8 mistakes you want to avoid in your blog

Blogs have been around for three decades now. It’s an industry in and of itself and, as such, it has its secrets.

Building and running a blog can bring benefits for any business (including self-publishing) but it must be done right. Luckily, certain guidelines have been proven to work during these thirty years. To help you get started, we present 8 common mistakes that beginners do when blogging.

#1 – Speaking about you in the third person

When writing the ‘About me’ section, make sure to find the right voice. If you are a beginner, is quite obvious that you won’t hire a person to write your biography. Writing about you in the third person can look pretentious and artificial. Simply tell your story to others and outline your objectives. This alone will help you gain the reader’s trust.

#2 – Using your blog as a place where to write your opinions

If you have strong principles, there are other channels to state them. Make sure that the blog has a clear purpose and brings value to the reader. If expressing your personal beliefs is important for you, you can use other platforms like Facebook or Twitter.

#3 – Using your blog for spamming

Don’t use your blog to send spammy messages or massive publicity. Only send promotions to people that are already interested in your content. This takes us to the next topic.

#4 – Underestimating the power of a mailing list

Make sure your followers have the option to subscribe. This will help you create a list of pre-qualified followers that can turn into clients. There are many tools to segment this audience and send them valuable information. This is the best approach to build and grow a community of followers, which is the blog’s main goal.

#5 – Overuse of pop-ups

While these were popular a few years ago, now they have been proven to bring poor results. In general, they are annoying and get in people’s way. Try to lure your followers with content, not pop-up ads. Although more difficult, this strategy is far more effective.

#6 – Not inserting a link to your book

Make sure that visitors can easily find the link to your book’s selling page. Also, the payment methods available must be popular and easy to find. In some cases, you can use an e-commerce plugin or simply insert a link to a third-party checkout page.

#7 – Not paying attention to the blog’s layout

Your blog must be nice-looking and functional. Readers should have a pleasant experience and be able to find what they are looking for easily. Nowadays there are plenty of DIY tools to help you achieve this. These include WordPress, plugins, add-ons, and page builders.

#8 – Speaking only about yourself

Yes, we know that the author blog is to promote your books and get yourself out there as an author. Yet, this can be achieved in many ways. A clever approach is to discuss other writers’ work and bring guests. Don’t be afraid to publish guest posts, write entries together with other writers, and interview people relevant in your field. This can only enrich your blog and make the content interesting.

Conclusion – 8 mistakes to avoid when writing your author blog

After presenting the 8 don’ts of running an author blog, we’d like to close with a bit of advice. All these tips must be implemented with one goal in mind: provide valuable and unique content.

Although the SEO experts recommend publishing from one to three entries a week, quality always beats quantity. Make sure you always prioritize the former, even if this means publishing only once a month.

Finally, don’t overestimate the value of uniqueness. Find a topic/service that only you can provide. Even if it seems lame, you’ll be surprised at how many people will be interested. It’s always better to have 10 faithful followers than a thousand non-dedicated ones.

Apply yourself and work relentlessly. Succeeding in self-publishing is possible with these tips.

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Before publication, your work will need a serious review if you want to provide the best quality. Ideally, there should be two (one by the author and one by a third party), but should it be proofreading or editing?

Many people think these are the same, but this is not so. This article analyzes the difference between proofreading and editing and which one to choose before self-publishing.

Proofreading vs Editing: the importance of editing for self-publishers

Self-publishing is a big challenge. Although it brings higher profit, the author is responsible for the quality of the book. This includes the writing, the formatting, and the design.

While revising one’s own work is important (and even necessary), the opinion of a third party becomes essential. Especially if we work with professionals. The author usually lacks the necessary perspective to spot, analyze, and edit mistakes.

If you are publishing through traditional channels, the publishing house will take care of this for you. Self-publishers, though, must conduct a thorough revision of their work. Finding the right person for this is difficult and expensive, and the first step is to know exactly what you are looking for. By learning the difference between these two concepts, you’ll be able to work out the tasks, fees, and deliverables with your editor.

Editing

Editing is about improving a text’s quality. This includes voice, expression, flow, and style. An editor’s job is to decrease wordiness and substitute terms. The use of synonyms helps not only avoid repetitions but also find the right vocabulary to convey an idea.

This process can help you consolidate your style and use of the language. Your story will have clearer expressions, clean cohesiveness, and less awkwardness. All areas of literature need editing but narrative can greatly benefit from it.

Main goals of editing:

• Convey interesting ideas to make the story appealing.
• Make sure the writing is cohesive and the ideas are properly linked. This helps improve readability.
• Choosing the right voice.
• Choosing the right words.
• Create fluent sentences.
• Use conventions to communicate with the reader more effectively.

Thus, your editor may come through with the right sentence structure and vocabulary. Of course, the final decision is up to you (while you are self-publishing). If you publish traditionally, the house will take care of the expenses, but you’ll have less control over the editing process.

The voice is also an important part. If your narrator is a 12-year-old child, a newly graduated doctor, or an old hermit living on a mountain, the voice will vary. These characters have different realities, cultural environments, and circumstances. Their voices must reflect this.

In many cases, authors write descriptions, paragraphs, or situations that don’t add any particular value to the story. This can make the plot too intricate or even boring. Your editor will help you remove those parts to make the reading flow smoother.

Proofreading

While editing is the subjective part of the process, proofreading is about fixing objective errors. The proofreader will fix mistakes at the level of grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. This is usually the final stage of the revision:

• Fix spelling and capitalization mistakes
• Fix punctuation mistakes
• •ix formatting mistakes

Thus, the proofreader must be aware of the formatting requirements for the particular needed industry. These may vary if the book will be published in printed form or as an e-book, if it has pictures, etc.

Editing vs proofreading

If you are not sure which one to choose, take a moment to analyze the situation. How familiar are you with the conventions of the written English language? How well do you manage with daily writing and speaking? How many errors do you usually make in grammar and style?

If you feel secure about your answers, then proofreading may be what you need. But if you want to improve your writing in terms of readability, voice, cohesiveness, and expressions, you will need both. Even experienced authors keep relying on a good editor to revise their work.

Most importantly, by knowing the difference between these two you’ll be able to find the right professional. Thus, you can establish clear goals and work out the fees.

Editing vs Proofreading – A conclusion

These two approaches can be applied simultaneously or separately. No matter how much experience you have, putting your work through editing and proofreading is necessary. Especially if you choose to self-publish.

The editing stage is the most subjective one and it must be worked out by the editor and the author together. Once the style is clear and ideas are in order, the story can move to the proofreading phase. This is where all objective language errors will be fixed.

To sum up, we can say that editing improves one’s writing and proofreading perfects it. Before publishing a story, play, novella, or novel, make sure you have given it the proper revision. This is the best way to refine your writing and build a reputation as an author.

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The author will have to make decisions to make the plot cohesive, credible, and gripping. This article shows you the types of scenarios that you can choose to write your story.

Main aspects of storytelling

There is no magic formula as to how to write the perfect story. Yet, certain aspects might be helpful. By considering these, authors can have a better perspective of their work. This not only helps to organize ideas but to generate new ones too.

Making some decisions at the beginning of the creative process reduces the chances to make mistakes along the way. If you outline your character’s personality before writing the first word, you’ll know how he/she will act under certain circumstances.

Also, choosing the right voice for a character can help readers relate to the story. Will the story be in the first or the third person? What kind of narrator will it have? What will be the characters’ voices and surroundings? This leads us directly to choosing our story’s background.

Things to consider before writing a story:

• Character personality
• Type of narrator
• What is the conflict you want to develop
• Character surroundings
• Story background

Types of story backgrounds

What do we mean by story background? In general, this is a description that helps visualize where the action takes place. It’s a key element of storytelling that provides context, meaning, and sense to a story. Here are different types of backgrounds you can choose to outline your plot.

Localized background

This is a type of background that helps design the characters. It’s formed by customs or landscapes that provide context. The reader understands the way these characters live, think, and act, and this supports their actions. The characters can blend or stand out from this background which are two different strategies.

Essential background

In this case, the storyline depends on the location or the time where the action takes place. Readers can’t imagine this story developing from a different background.

Descriptive background

This is described by the author and can be done once throughout the story or as the action takes place.

Dialogue background

In this case, the background is described through the characters’ dialogue. This lets us dive into the story more closely and relate better to the characters. If they speak a dialect, for example, it conveys a clear picture of the plot’s cultural background.

Historic background

This background is based on a particular moment in history. The author will describe it through the habits, customs, clothes, and culture of the characters. If you make this choice, you’ll need to spend some time researching to create an environment that’s cohesive with its time.

Symbolic background

The author’s description of the scenery helps us give meaning to the story. It contains certain keys for the writer to understand the plot.

Psychological background

In this scenario, the character’s state of mind is crucial for the storyline. The author needs to convey how his or her psychology works and make him/her act accordingly.

Choosing the right story background

The background you choose depends on many things. These are the message you want to convey, the center of your plot, the type of action, and the amount of tension you want to handle. The backgrounds can be combined to achieve the desired effect. Here are some examples from the classics.

Anna Karenina – Lev Tolstoy

In this great novel by Lev Tolstoy, we can see a perfect combination of localized and essential backgrounds. When Anna decided to leave her husband for handsome Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky it caused a scandal in Saint Petersburg’s high society. This wouldn’t have been so if the plot was to be developed in our days, where the concepts of marriage and family are completely different.

Also, Tolstoy achieves an exquisite level of localized background. He shows us the Czarist Russia in all its glory and shamefulness. It describes the customs and the lives of people both in the countryside and the capital.

Tell-Tale heart – Edgar Allan Poe

In this masterpiece, Poe manages to describe the psychological suffering of a man who murders an older fellow. The readers don’t know much about the characters but are led down a spiral from which they cannot escape. The tension increases as the main character has the body hidden under the floorboards. Finally, his guilt is such that he thinks he hears the dead man’s heart beating under the floor. This is the perfect combination of descriptive and psychological backgrounds.

The Garden of Forking Paths – Jorge Luis Borges

The genius of Borges takes us to the Second World War where a German Spy is trying to send a message to his boss whom he calls ‘the Chief’. The historic background is combined with dialogue, symbolic, and descriptive backgrounds. The characters engage in a conversation in which they discover the labyrinth of one of their ancestors, Ts’ui Pen, to be his novel.

The novel symbolizes the labyrinth of creation, in which, as we make a decision, we create an infinite number of parallel worlds and possibilities. In this particular story, the outcome is one of the characters being murdered by his interlocutor.

Final thoughts on storyline backgrounds

This article shows how you can use the story background in your favor. This is not supposed to be a mere description but a part of your story. By combining any of these options you can create the perfect environment for your literary work.

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The development of DIY software and the advancement of the Internet have opened new gates for writers that want to be successful. But having so many opportunities can backfire if you don’t know where to start.

Self-publishing, for example, sounds very attractive. You don’t need a publishing house’s support to release and sell your books. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

While self-publishing seems attractive, there are many things to consider if you want to achieve your goals. Also, the traditional publishing methods still exist, and many are still using them.

If you don’t know which path to take, you can find some answers in this article. It features a comparison between self-publishing and traditional publishing.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing

The oldest publishing house is Cambridge University Press, which was granted a publishing license (a ‘Royal Charter’) by Henry VIII. They released their first book in 1584.

Since then, the industry has grown immensely but has experienced a setback in the past decades. This is due to the rise of other forms of entertainment like TV, live streaming, YouTube, video games, etc. But this only opened the gates for new publishing ways to arise.

This section presents a comparison between these options based on categories. These are the main aspects that writers need to consider when starting their careers.

Profitability

Self-publishing

Undoubtedly, self-publishing wins this round. If you release your own book, you can set the price you want and get all the profits. You’ll have expenses, but all the earnings will be for you.

Traditional publishing

The main advantage is that you don’t have to invest your own money to publish. But you need to consider that the royalty rates are usually 10% of the retail price. This means that if a book is selling for 20USD, the author gets 2USD.

Market reach

Self-publishing

Without a publishing house, the marketing efforts are all at your expense. This means you need to invest either money or time (or both) to promote your book. If you already have followers, this task will be easier. Some writers get followers by blogging, offering workshops, etc.

Traditional publishing

Publishing houses take care of everything for you. They place your book in stores and promote it. This is a huge advantage because they have their followers and marketing channels in place. If you don’t have enough time or are not good at marketing, traditional publishing is the best option.

Technical aspects (edition and layout)

Self-publishing

There are many technical aspects pertaining book publishing, the main ones being edition and layout. After you write your story, you will need a good editor to revise it. If you are thinking you can do it yourself, think again. Even the greatest authors had had editors they trusted. The author can’t have enough perspective to revise his/her own work.

After this, you’ll need to arrange your page layout. This includes:

• Font
• Font size
• Spacing
• Page numbers
• Chapter disposition

If your book has pictures, bullet points, or graphics you must make sure they are readable and nice-looking.

Traditional publishing

With the traditional path, all this is done for you. The publishing house takes care of these aspects and, since this is their business, they provide quality.

The creative aspect and ownership rights

Self-publishing

Self-publishing is the best option in this regard. Writers can choose their topic and storylines freely. They also have full rights over their work.

Traditional publishing

This may vary depending on the deal. In general, publishing houses retain distribution rights for a certain period. For example, they may have exclusivity to distribute your book for 2 years. This means that you are not free to use your work as you please or share it with whoever and whenever you want.

Also, they can ask you to make changes or require certain topics if you want to publish with them.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing in a nutshell

Self-publishing

Pros:

• More profitability
• Full control of your work and ownership

Cons:

• You are responsible for the book’s quality (style correction, proofreading, layout, etc.)
• You are responsible for the book’s promotion
• Requires a higher investment (time and money)

Traditional publishing

Pros:

• Higher validation
• No investment needed
• Possibility to reach more people
• More chances of placing your book in stores

Cons:

• Deals are hard to get
• Less or no control over the creative aspects, and ownership and distribution rights
• Lower profitability

Can I combine both options?

Many people wonder if they can combine both alternatives. This is a possibility but there are some things to consider.

If you self-publish and don’t have as many sales, it will be harder to publish traditionally. Publishing houses won’t see you as a profitable option.

And if you are successful, shifting to traditional won’t be profitable for you unless you can get a very good deal.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing: Which one to choose?

Waiting for the right publishing deal from a traditional source can be frustrating, but it can be worth the wait. This is the cheapest and simpler option.

Many writers choose to publish their own books. But in this case, they are in charge of the edition, proofreading, layout, and promotion of their work. This is the more profitable option if you are willing to invest some money and conduct the necessary research.

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We post weekly and monthly articles featuring facts, tips, advice, and news about the editorial world. And this first post is a reflection of this.

Weekly posts

With our weekly publications, you’ll find meaningful info. These posts feature writing tips, publishing options, comparisons, technical issues, language advice, designing software, and more.

In our days, authors need to be ready for everything. Especially self-publishing writers. Even if they choose to hire a third party, having the basic knowledge is necessary. This will help them choose the right professionals and supervise the process.

This is the place where writers can get the know-how they need to publish their work.

Monthly posts

For our monthly posts, we invite our colleagues outside the ‘Published and Profitable’ ecosystem. Once a month we bring well-known professionals to contribute to our blog.

Thus, we present guest posts, interviews, and free workshops with the leading players in the industry. These people are successful in self-publishing and are ready to share their experiences.

When we see the outcome everything seems easy. But you’ll be surprised at what these professionals had to overcome. By getting to know their stories, you’ll be encouraged to keep going. This is the very essence of our monthly entries.

Our topics

As self-publishers, we understand the problems of the industry. Hence, our writers speak from their own experiences. At the same time, they are aware of the niche’s news to provide fresh content.

Our blog is oriented towards what self-publishers need to succeed. This is a wide range of topics including cover design, formatting, e-books, paperbacks, proofreading, editing, character development, plot creation, cohesiveness, use of background, vocabulary, software, blogging, and analysis.

As you can see, the self-publishing world is very rich. Putting these ideas in order can be challenging. This is why we are here: we provide advice and guidance to self-publishing authors.

The main aspects of publishing

Stage 1 – Writing

This is the most creative part of the process. To write your story you’ll need training and feedback. Our team provides group and individual workshops for you to develop your skills. You’ll be asked to pen a piece on a designated instruction. Thus, you’ll have to solve certain problems to deliver. This is one of the best training for writers and it’s useful for everyone, no matter how much experience you have.

Stage 2 – Editing and proofreading

A thorough revision cannot be avoided if you want to provide quality. Even the greatest writers rely on a good editor. These two stages can be covered by the same person or not, but they have to be implemented. While editing is about enriching someone’s writing style, proofreading is about perfecting it.

Stage 3 – Formatting and design

Many underestimate this stage and this is a big mistake. Formatting a book is not the same as formatting a Word document or business presentation. The page layout, spacing, font, font size, etc., are important for a good reading experience. The quality of these factors has a direct impact on how the reader apprehends your story.

Stage 4 – Publication and promotion

At this point, the writer needs to make choices. They can publish an e-book, paperback, or both. They can use large publishing chains like Amazon or Google, or go for a local option. The author needs to know his/her target audience to make the best decision.

Conclusion

‘Published and Profitable’ helps all kinds of writers. At all stages of the process, you can rely on us. In our community, find the knowledge and support you need and become a successful self-publishing author.

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