What steps must be taken when self-publishing a book?
Writing a book is the initial step to self-publishing it. Make sure you take ample time to edit and revise before publishing your manuscript. Find out the best information about self-publishing.
Traditional publishers use gatekeepers to select manuscripts for publication. These gatekeepers carefully vet manuscripts before selecting those they consider the most marketable and best. Self-publishers do not have access to such gatekeepers.
1. Write the Book
Writing a book is no small feat; it takes hard work and time to produce something of quality that resonates with readers. Historically, writers and storytellers had to go through traditional publishing houses before sharing their tales with the world – but thanks to advanced technology and the internet today, there are more options than ever for sharing our stories with everyone.
As soon as your book is written and complete, it must undergo professional editing to ensure its release for publication. A good editor can help catch grammatical errors, clarify confusing sections, and ensure your book is structured appropriately.
Your book can be published both as a print book and ebook. For print publishing, simply upload a PDF file to a printer or publishing platform like Amazon CreateSpace or IngramSpark; an ISBN code (International Standard Book Number), cover image, and description will also need to be provided. Alternatively, for ebook publication, you will need to upload it onto one of several digital book distributors like Amazon KDP, Apple iBooks, or Kobo that host it and sell it directly to readers.
2. Edit the Book
Traditionally, published books undergo multiple editing stages before release; therefore, it is equally essential that self-published works undergo the same level of scrutiny prior to being made available for sale. Books without proper editing often fail to attract literary agents or publishers, and readers usually turn away from low-quality self-published works altogether.
Manuscript review is the initial stage in editing, consisting of an extensive examination of your work to detect errors and improve clarity. Consulting a professional editor can help ensure your book becomes a ready-for-publishing product.
Copyediting focuses on grammar, word choice, and consistency. A skilled copyeditor can help fine-tune the tone of your book, ensure all words are used correctly on its pages, ensure its readability, and ensure a good flow of writing.
Once your book has been edited, it’s time to format it. This involves preparing the file for publication and designing the layout—chapters, table of contents, and images. Many self-publishing platforms offer book formatting services, while freelancers may also offer this service; when choosing either option, make sure they can provide samples of previous work as well as references for any potential service providers.
3. Format the Book
Book publishing requires more than writing an engaging narrative—it requires formatting the manuscript correctly so it’s easily readable for readers, including margin sizes, font style/size selection, and paragraph indentation/spacing issues. Furthermore, creating an accessible table of contents and cover design are essential parts of this process.
Manuscripts that fail to adhere to standard formatting rules are more likely to be discarded unread, which wastes both time and money. Luckily, various online resources can assist in formatting your book.
Once your manuscript is in readable form, it is ready to be sent to editors and agents for consideration. Be sure that they can recognize its file format, such as. DOCX for Microsoft Word; additionally, include a copyright page and table of contents as necessary.
If you want to publish your book in multiple formats, such as hardcover, paperback, and ebook versions, separate ISBNs will need to be purchased for each edition. In addition, BISAC codes help categorize books so readers can find them quickly; make sure the category you choose accurately represents its contents.
4. Design the Book
Now that your book has been edited and formatted, it’s time for its design. Your designer will help transform it from a manuscript into a finished book that you will be proud to show the world.
There are many elements involved in crafting a great book design, from the size and shape of the book itself to details like typeface and layout. A book should be designed as an engaging reading experience, with text, images, and colors working harmoniously together to offer readers a rich reading experience.
Your designer will add any tables of contents, indexes, or footnotes that your book requires. Once everything is set in place, they will begin typing your entire book, including any charts or graphs included within its pages. Your designer will fine-tune formatting to eliminate widows and orphans, awkward line and page breaks, and other formatting issues, providing you with a clean print file ready for publication.
You will also need to select whether you wish for your book to be published in hardcover, paperback, or ebook format. Each format requires its own cover design criteria, as well as an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and barcode for identification purposes.
5. Publish the Book
Once your book has been edited and is printer-ready files, it’s time to publish. This can be accomplished through Amazon KDP, or Reedsy author services companies; before choosing either, be sure to conduct thorough research; some have high fees without being transparent enough – an excellent place to begin is Writer Beware, which tracks publishing scams while providing lists of reputable publishers.
Consider having your book printed through an international distributor like Ingram Spark so it can be sold both offline and online worldwide. While this requires extra work, this strategy can reach more readers and drive up sales.
A professional book formatter and a cover designer will be well-versed in these processes and can assist with them. Furthermore, they understand content formatting requirements across platforms, such as ensuring your book’s spine width is correct.
Before listing the book for sale, you must establish a list price. This will ultimately dictate how much royalty income will come back from sales of your book. When setting this value, consider similar titles in your genre and author goals; consider offering discounted introductory pricing as a means of driving sales forward.
6. Market the Book
Marketing is essential when working with either traditional publishers or self-publishing, whether your book is conventional or independent. Unfortunately, most authors don’t have access to an abundance of marketing services and the budget of an established publishing house; thus, it falls upon you alone to spread the word about your book and drive its success.
Launch your book promotion by taking advantage of social media channels to build an author platform and leverage paid social ads to drive awareness and conversions. Make sure Google AdWords and Facebook Ads are set up so people searching for your book can quickly locate it!
Consider sending advance reader copies (ARCs) to book reviewers and influencers such as NetGalley or Booksprout in advance of your launch date to collect reviews before launch day. This can boost search rankings on Amazon and other platforms.
TIP SHEET When pitching your book to bookstores and the media, include a tip sheet that contains generalized information about it and includes BISAC codes as well as purchasing links (you’ll need this with all formats of your book –print, ebook, and audio) along with BISAC codes for easy purchase. TIP SHEET
7. Sell the Book
Now, it’s time to get your book out there and into readers’ hands! To do this, you must create a website showcasing your books with purchase options for readers and establish social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Some self-publishing services claim they can get your book into bookstores, but this does not translate to actual purchases and stocking of it by bookstores. Unless your book is doing exceptionally well (such as Fifty Shades of Grey), bookstores are unlikely to order or stock your work even if they find out about it.
If you plan to try selling your book at a physical bookstore, start a grassroots campaign by having friends and family who live near or shop at that bookstore request copies from you at random times – this way, you can demonstrate consistent sales. Keep the momentum alive by continuing book promotion efforts and finding ways to keep making the book relevant and interesting to potential readers; naturally, books generate the most excellent attention around publication time, but then it gets more challenging as time progresses.
