How-To Tips: Self-Publishing a Book

In today’s world, more and more people are choosing to become entrepreneurs, build their dream businesses, or take their lives into their own hands by becoming self-sustainable. When it comes to publishing a book, this mindset is no different. Many people think of publishing a book as a huge, daunting task that usually ends in rejection and should not be taken on by the average person who does not have expendable cash. But in reality, self-publishing a book is becoming more and more common, and more and more simple. Let technology help you with the numerous resources out there to research, develop, finish, and publish your own works.

Know Your Content

First, make sure you have a book that is marketable. While many authors might turn away from the idea of market research, knowing a variety of information such as what’s out there, what is popular, what audiences are leaning towards, and even what is selling best can allow an author to put a spin on their book that will help it stand apart from the others. Taking the time to research these things can help you develop a plan of action that may make your book more successful in the long run.

This includes evaluating the in-person and online presence your book might have, from start to finish. Everything impacts your audience, and the story itself is not the only thing they will notice. Everything from cover art to your presence as an author can make an impression on the very group of people to whom you are attempting to sell. Knowing this group – as well as your competition, and even the bookseller’s market in general – can help you tweak your product in ways that will add up to dollars and cents.

Invest in Your Editing

While most of this process can be done without putting a large amount of money into it, one place you do want to spend money is with a professional editor. Proofreading a copy yourself, or having a knowledgeable friend or colleague do it, is all well and good and can still be helpful. That said, a professional editor can be the make or break between your book as a finished product and something that is just a complete manuscript.

Finding a professional editor, even on a budget, is made simple with sites like Fiverr or Guru that allow freelance professionals to advertise their services. In many cases, you can view hourly rates as well as reviews, making it easy to choose a service within your budget that will also help you along the process.

Don’t Neglect Your Cover Design

The cover is the first part of a book many people pay attention to, and often the cover can make or break an opinion of a book before the synopsis is checked. Because of this, having good cover art can be essential to the life of your book. It is absolutely possible to design your book cover yourself, and there are a number of resources available online to do just that, such as Canva and Edit.org. Some design experience will help, as well as having an idea in mind of what you want the cover of your book to look like. However, if this task seems too daunting to you, there are freelance designers available on the above-mentioned platforms as well.

Find a Great Self Publishing Service

There are a large number of self-publishing services available in the world, and finding a good one involves some idea of how you want your book to be published, as well as some research and comparison. It is important to pay attention to exactly how you want your book to sell, whether it be in audiobook or e-print format, how and if it will be marketed, printing costs, and so forth. There are calculators available online to determine costs as well as royalties you will likely get from the sales of your book. Finding a company that will do exactly what you want to be done with your book, while taking a minimum cost, is key.

No matter how you think of yourself as an author, or whether this is your first or fifteenth book, publishing material yourself is far from impossible. After all, you’ve already put the work in by writing the book. And just a little more diligence and time will allow you to get your book out to the world – while also bringing in as much as possible for your hard work.