Millions of books are written and published every year for different reasons. While many think completing the manuscript is the hardest part, many more milestones must be achieved. Among these milestones, self-publishing your book comes on top.
Self-publishing can be a challenging task, especially for novice writers. After all, aspiring self-publishers are well-aware that they are responsible for every expense and risk. There is no room for mistakes. The loss or profit from your work is yours to own.
Before the thoughts overwhelm you, here is a step-by-step guide to self-publish your book.
1. Write a Marketable Manuscript
The first step to self-publish is to decide what your book will be about. Of course, now that you are looking for ways to self-publish, you may already have an idea about the main ingredients of your book. You may need to ask yourself if your book is marketable.
Start by conducting marketing research to identify your target audience. It can take some time to figure out the right approach and collect the right data to make your book loveable. However, the time and energy spent on this step of self-publishing can be very fruitful.
Well-conducted research on the market and target audience can help you write an effective manuscript and also develop a beneficial marketing strategy. That is why it is always recommended that authors keep their research notes safe until the last steps of self-publishing.
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2. Start Marketing Early
Many writers think that marketing starts after their manuscript has been completed. However, that is not true. The marketing process for your book must start as soon as you have picked up the pen. In this case, earlier is better.
You can create an author’s website to create helpful emailing lists. This way, you can engage people who are interested in reading your book right from the beginning. You can update them with every step of your journey to create excitement.
You can also use your social media to post about your upcoming book and lead readers to your author’s website. You can also post giveaways on your social media to increase engagement and involve more people on your journey.
As the book launch gets closer, you can also get in touch with influencers, bloggers, and podcasters in your niche to promote your book. If things go right, a podcaster or influencer may also be interested in inviting you over for an interview and producing a chance to tell more people about your work.
3. Hire an Editor
Writers spend weeks and even months writing and reviewing their work. It takes so much effort and time to perfect your first draft. The last thing you want is for all your effort to go to waste due to avoidable mistakes or factual errors.
Whether you have years of experience or are writing your first book, it is important to hire an editor. Editors are professionals who have years of experience in their field. They can help you improve your manuscript manifold from grammatical to developmental mistakes.
If nothing, a fresh pair of eyes can help you crisper your ideas and fill in any plot holes. They can give you an honest opinion about ways to improve your work. In addition, you can also save yourself from the embarrassment of being called out for little mistakes once the work is published.
4. Design an Eye-Catching Cover
An amazing book cover holds the power to turn even a mediocre book into a best seller. Believe it or not, books are judged by their covers. And you need to put your best efforts into ensuring that your cover is judged by the words of appraisal.
A book cover is the first thing a reader sees. Of course, no one can get inspired by a book cover that looks cheap. That is why you must hire a reliable book cover designer, especially if you do not have any prior experience with graphic design.
Many readers can agree that the way a book cover looks has a huge impact on whether they will buy a book or not. A bad book cover may never even be picked to be examined. You do not want so much of your time and effort to go to waste only because of a bad book cover.
Therefore, it is important to reach out to a cover designer with an idea of what you want. You can have a detailed conversation with them and even share some hand-drawn ideas. This practice helps prevent waste of your time and resources.
You can also ask the book cover designer for sample work. Some designers may charge for a sample, and others may do it free of cost. In any case, a negligible amount spent on trying out designers is then making do with covers that do not fit your vision.
5. Purchase an ISBN
As your book gets a step closer to seeing the light of day, it’s time to consider what is ISBN. An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit unique code that helps a publisher identify an individual book to determine a number of things.
This unique number helps retailers and publishers keep track of books in stock so that an order for more can be placed in time to avoid delays. It is also very helpful in keeping track of your sales. An ISBN is a must if you want to sell your book effectively.
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6. Decide on a Price
Self-publishers are in complete control of the price they decide for their book. After all, putting in all the hard work also means that you enjoy all benefits. You know the best about how much it is worth the effort and time you put into your work.
However, it is important to remember that your price must be reasonable. After all, you do not want people to place a book back after seeing the price. Hence, it is important to conduct some timely research to see the prices of books among your competitors and set a book price accordingly.