Want to get self-published but you don’t know where to start? With these top tips, you can get yourself published faster than ever.
Every writer knows that to get a publishing house to even consider your writing, you need a great agent and a phenomenal manuscript. Even if your writing is amazing, without a talented and well-connected agent, your work won’t see the light of day. This is what makes getting traditionally published so limiting.
For a writer, nothing can be more fulfilling than getting self-published. Not only do you get the satisfaction of doing it on your own, but you also rid yourself of the frustrating factors of getting published through a publishing house.
Self-publishing will not work successfully unless it is done right. But, these eight pro tips can get you self-published faster than you can imagine.
Tips to Preparing the Content of Your Book
Writing the Book
- So you have decided to self-publish a book, but you don’t know what to do next. The first thing to tackle is the writing. If you have already written a book you want to publish, you have this covered. But, if you haven’t, the first thing you need to do is decide on a genre.
- Once you decide the genre, try to do research on your selected genre. A big part of research would be reading as many books of the said genre as possible. You should consider both classics and the latest best-sellers. This is a vital factor as without knowing what the audiences are reading these days, you won’t be able to write a book that will sell well.
- Once you narrow down a story or topic for your book, you must do a lot of research. Thorough research is necessary to get the facts, background, and setting right for your book.
- Having trouble writing? Improve your writing skills by becoming a regular writer. Set a daily schedule where you sit down and write whatever comes to you, even if it feels like bad writing. Set some word milestones and chapter deadlines for yourself. It will help push you towards progress.
Joining Online Communities
Even if writing is something most of us do alone, joining some online communities and mingling with people is important. Once you interact with fellow writers, they can open doors for you even if you are choosing to self-publish.
These connections can help you figure out things like the cost to publish a book or where you can find the best deals with professional editors and book designers. You can read writer’s blogs and learn a lot from their experiences. It is important to interact with people and make fruitful connections, as this is how you can find quality beta readers.
Beta Proofreading & Editing Based On Feedback
Beta proofreading is an important part of developing your manuscript. These are other professionals in the field who would willingly read your work and give you valuable feedback. Some beta readers even offer to proofread your work.
Your beta readers can’t be your close friends or family members, as they might have a bias towards your work. People usually agree to do beta reading in exchange for returning the favour or even a mention in the acknowledgments. Sending them a copy of your book after it is published is a must!
Based on their feedback you will edit and tweak your writing, but how much you will change it is entirely up to you. Remember you can’t make everyone happy, but don’t be too narrow-minded to accept constructive criticism.
Professional Editing
Once you have done all the editing, you need to find a professional editor to edit your manuscript. This is a must even if you have worked in publishing for years and have experience in editing manuscripts. We cannot emphasise how crucial it is to have the fresh eyes of a professional tweak your work, particularly because there is no publishing house backing you.
Tips for Getting Self-Published
Find a Good Book Designer
If you think the book cover and internal design are not important, think again. People do judge books by their covers and your book’s design must intrigue your audience while giving them a hint about the content.
Investing in a professional book designer will pay off. If you have a vision for your book’s cover and interiors, you can work with the designer so that they can bring your ideas to life.
Decide on a Self-Publishing Company
You will mainly find two types of self-publishing companies: retailers and aggregators. When you sign up with a retailer company and upload your book, they will make it available on their websites, apps, and other platforms.
If you think retailer platforms limit your book’s reach, you can opt for aggregator companies. They not only make it available on their own websites and apps but also on other affiliated platforms and bookstores.
Only decide on a self-publishing platform after thorough research. A lot of factors will affect your choices like genre, cost, reach, etc. So, choose wisely and learn every aspect of the platform that affects you before signing up. Most self-publishing platforms will sell printed copies on demand if the buyer chooses to opt for that option.
Consider Purchasing an ISBN for Your Book
ISBN or International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit unique numerical identifier that helps identify your book. Every edition and version of your book will need a separate ISBN. This number will lead to the metadata that provides information on your book to whoever is looking for it.
You don’t exactly need an ISBN to sell ebooks, and some platforms may provide it for you while others will sell your ebooks without it. However, if you purchase your own ISBN, you will be branded as the main publisher and will be in control of your book’s metadata. So, even if you shift platforms or sell to others, you will be in control of the information.
Marketing Your Book
After uploading your book to your subscribed self-publishing platform, you must spread the word. Even if the platform provides some marketing, you also need to advertise your book so that it reaches a wider audience.
Social media marketing is an excellent idea for advertising your self-published book. Reach out to the audience and interact with them on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can place ads on these platforms as well. You can even make videos promoting your book on video streaming platforms like Youtube.
You can also try asking social media influencers to review your book, but they will charge you for it. Encourage your friends, family, and readers to leave book reviews on the publishing platform or book-oriented websites like Goodreads.
Final Thoughts
Armed with these tips, you can get self-published faster than ever. Don’t wait anymore to become a published author; start writing your book today! Even if writing is something most of us do alone, joining some online communities like https://www.instagram.com/allyoucanbooks/?hl=en and mingling with people is important. Once you interact with fellow writers, they can open doors for you even if you are choosing to self-publish.
