Self-publishing a book can be a rewarding process. From the control you have over your project, the cost, and the distribution is all in your hands. Here are the top 10 steps to guide you through self-publishing your first book:
- Write and Edit Your Manuscript:
- Start by writing your book, ensuring it is well-written and edited for clarity, grammar, and coherence. My advice is to hire an editor. There aren’t a lot of things I’d suggest spending money on when self-publishing but this is my number one suggestion for paying for. Your best friend, mom, or cousin is not going to catch line edits or developmental edits that you will likely need. This step is crucial when you want to offer a quality product.
- Create a Professional Book Cover:
- Design an eye-catching and professional book cover that reflects the content and genre of your book. I suggest you take a look at book covers in your genre. You can design this yourself. Many of my indie authors choose to hire a professional for this which you can find on Fiverr.com. Amazon KDP gives exact cover requirements so depending on your budget you can choose to do this yourself or pay a professional.
- Formatting Your Bookl:
- Format your manuscript for the chosen publishing platform, ensuring proper layout, font, and spacing. When I published my first book I did not know about formatting. I did what felt right and you can certainly tell. The linked free ebook will go into detail about formatting your book to give you that professional look. This is our creation, we want it to be the best!
- Choose a Publishing Platform:
- Select a self-publishing platform such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Apple iBooks, IngramSpark, or others that suit your preferences. There are also independent publishing companies that you can pay to have assistance with this process. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable. And how much work are you wanting to put in? There is no right or wrong answer here. You are making your dreams come true, only you know what is right for you.
- Set a Competitive Price:
- Research the pricing of similar books in your genre and set a competitive yet reasonable price for your book. Some people choose to offer free ebooks, some only offer hardback then after 6-9 months release ebooks and paperback. You can also do brief sales to boost interest. You want to set the price high enough to make a profit but not so high that it doesn’t sell. All of these factors are relative to your book.
- Book Description and Keywords:
- Craft a compelling book description that entices readers. Use relevant keywords to improve discoverability. This is a good place to use AI. I like to use my mic to tell AI my book description and ask for suggestions on keywords. I don’t usually use all of them, check that they work and use the best. You want an engaging, gripping description. This is where readers are looking to see if they want to read your book. Let’s win them over before the first page!
- Upload Your Book:
- Follow the guidelines of your chosen platform to upload your book, cover, and any additional information required. There might be more info than you anticipate, stay patient and know that everything is fixable. I rememeber my first try uploading took me many times. There is a bit of a learning curve. Take breaks and stay patient with yourself.
- Marketing and Promotion:
- Develop a marketing strategy to promote your book. Utilize social media, author websites, and other promotional channels. People are looking for connection. While we are connected in many ways yet many feel alone. Sharing yourself authentically is what I see makes the difference. Do not take long social media breaks. Right now a lot of marketing is being seen. This doesn’t mean you have to share private information about yourself or your private life. But when you do share, make sure it’s authentic. This is another area to spend money. KDP and other platforms offer book marketing. You can also run Facebook and Google ads. Going to farmer’s markets, bookstores, conventions, or other in-person events helps.
- Build an Author Platform:
- Create an author website and establish a presence on social media to connect with your readers and build a fan base. You need a home to showcase all of your work. Most often this will be yourauthorname.com This makes it easy for everyone to find you. Trust me, you want to make things easy for the audience. They will reward you with readership.
- Monitor Sales and Gather Feedback:
- Keep track of your book sales and gather feedback from readers. Use this information to improve your future writing and marketing efforts. I would keep track but don’t obsess. There might be a tie of building that takes longer than you hope. Listen to constructive feedback but don’t listen to every single negative review. Some don’t even have to do with your work. However, if you’re getting the same feedback from several different readers, perhaps take note. It’s hard to hear something other than praise but you will find this useful in the long run.
Remember, the self-publishing journey requires dedication and persistence. Stay engaged with your audience and continuously refine your approach based on feedback and results. This won’t happen overnight so take care of yourself, take breaks often, and reach out to others that have come before. In many of our episodes of ‘Conversations With Indie-Authors’, I have indie authors share their best tips for success.
Wishing you success in your self-publishing journey!
Warm regards,
XO Brittani
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