So you want to publish your own book. Maybe you’ve already written it and now you’re wondering what the next steps are. Maybe you haven’t started writing it, but you’ve got a burning idea that you can’t let go of. Whether you’ve written your manuscript or not, you’re going to need to get familiar with the process of self-publishing. This article will go over tips on how to publish your own book.
What Is Self-publishing?
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Self-publishing is the process of publishing your own book without the use of a traditional publishing house. This typically means that you do not have an agent who represents your work, although some self-published authors (commonly known as indie authors) have agents for other works that they are interested in publishing traditionally.
Self-publishing requires the author to do all the backend work on their own such as acquiring editors, proofreading, designing the cover art, and formatting the pages. Indie authors are also responsible for marketing their books through means of social media, word of mouth, and more.
Develop A Manuscript
The first step in self-publishing is to write the manuscript of your book. Your manuscript length should typically reflect the genre and target age group of your book, however, as a self-published author you have permission to take some liberties. The average adult book manuscript ranges from 50,000 – 70,000 words.
Once you’ve written the manuscript, you must edit it. This typically requires multiple drafts and revisions. You should read your manuscript multiple times, removing sections of the book that don’t flow well, revising character arcs, tightening dialogue, and solidifying the plot. This is when you might consider hiring a beta reader who can help you identify areas of weakness within your manuscript.
When you are confident that your manuscript is solid on a developmental level, it is time to hire a proofreader. Your proofreader (sometimes known as a copyeditor) will go through the manuscript and look at it on a sentence level. They will proofread and edit any grammatical errors, typos, or mistakes in dialogue tags.
Prepare Your Manuscript For Publishing
You have decided to self-publish your book, so you will need to format the interior of your book. This includes adding page numbers, chapter numbers or headers, and adding any graphics that you might want to include inside. Each format that you plan to sell your book in (eBook, paperback, hardcover) will need to be formatted individually. You will likely end up with multiple copies of your formatted documents, one for each version of the book.
You must also either design the cover of your book or pay someone to design it for you. This cannot be done until the book interior is ready to go, because the cover dimensions are highly specific to how many pages the final document of the manuscript is. You can download templates for your specific book from the publishing website you decide to use. If you are designing the cover yourself, you can use a website like Canva to design it for free.
If you are planning to distribute your book to bookstores, you might consider purchasing an ISBN. If you are going to publish on Amazon, their publishing website will provide you with an ISBN. You might also consider registering your copyright.
Publishing Your Book
Once you have prepared your manuscript, formatted the interior of your book, and designed the cover, it is time to publish your book! You will upload the finalized files of your manuscript to whichever publishing website you have decided to use. You will also upload the cover of your book.
Now, the quality checks will be pushed through the publishing software and you will typically see a preview of your book. This is your chance to make sure everything is laid out and formatted properly, so read through it carefully. You can also opt to purchase proof copies of your book.
Finally, you will schedule your book to “go live”. This can take a few days to process, but once you set your book to go live, the book will be accessible to purchase on the day you choose. You will be able to set up distribution prices and order author copies.
Marketing Your Book
Now that your book is out in the world, you must continue to market your book. Advertise it on social media, tell your friends and family, or even sign up for author events. Talk to your local library and see if they would be willing to feature you as a local author. The hard part is over, but the marketing side of publishing never ends.
Conclusion
Self-publishing requires self-discipline, writing and editing skills, careful planning, execution, and ongoing effort. It is not a simple process, but it can be done easily with the right preparation. With a solid manuscript and dedication to your own success, if you follow these steps to self-publish and you will be on your way to success in no time.
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