A Beginner's Guide to Self-Publishing
The idea you had for writing a book has finally materialized. You’ve put pen to paper or have a typed manuscript saved to your computer. Rather than go through an extensive query process in the hope your pitch will catch the eye of an agent, you’ve decided that’s what’s most important is having your words available to readers as soon as possible. With that…your exploration into the self-publishing process begins!
There are lots of decisions to be made from the beginning, such as where your book will be available for purchase, and the overall format.
Here’s some advice on things I learned in the year I developed the self-published title Awakening to Nature’s Beauty 10 New England Meditations for the Wandering Spirit, a collection of short stories set in some of New England’s most peaceful locations. The book has continued to inspire readers across the country to venture into nature and connect to the present moment through reverence and admiration of the landscapes around us. Self-publishing was the best choice for me in many ways, so if you’re thinking of doing the same, read through this beginner’s guide to getting your project off the ground.
THINK AHEAD ON FORMAT
Some self-publishing companies like Amazon’s KDP publishing and IngramSpark, require that your manuscript be uploaded with specific margins and page breaks. There are also specific requirements for the cover and inside pages. Design your document first, before implementing any content you have, instead of the other way around. Restructuring a messy working document instead of starting fresh, can lead to headaches and many, many re-uploads that can be avoided with a little pre-planning in the first production phase.
DECIDE ON YOUR MAX DEVELOPMENT BUDGET
Develop a budget based on the research you’ve done to accurately project your spending, whether that’s licensing photography from an artist, paying an illustrator to design your book cover, or hiring someone to project manage your book production timeline from start to finish. If you have a budget range in mind from the start and are thoughtful about ranking your priorities from most to least important, you’ll be able to understand where to invest wisely and where to trim down in support of the final product you have in mind.
USE A FAVORITE SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK FOR INSPIRATION
There are a lot of decisions to be made around your book’s look, however, some things will be standard regardless of your creative choices. Things like copyright information, a dedication page, author bio, etc. should be included, no matter the publishing direction you go in. Pick a self-published book off your shelf you own or borrow one recommended from a friend and use that as your inspiration. There are likely elements within the book you’ll use and others you’ll leave behind, based on your vision, but it’s always good to start from something you’re familiar with.
GET CREATIVE WHEN CHOOSING COVER ART
Oftentimes, a splashy cover is what intrigues your target audience before they read an excerpt of the writing inside. Think of something that will draw your ideal reader into the story and reinforce the themes inside. Have a spooky tale to tell, for example? Think of colors, typeface, and imagery that create a sense of mystery. Every piece matters.
FYI - your cover doesn’t have to be heavily designed, oftentimes clean and simple is best, but the artwork should give a preview of the story the reader can expect. You’ll want at least two versions to choose from Having trouble deciding which one to move forward with? Ask a friend, colleague, or trusted advisor for their feedback and provide them with a free copy of the final product in exchange for their time.
DO I NEED AN ISBN?
Securing an ISBN is a necessary part of the self-publishing process. This “codes” your book like a set of fingerprints. No one else can establish their content with the same ISBN and this 13-digit number will be associated with your book(s) in perpetuity, tracking sales insights along the way. There are tons of free resources on the ISBN.org website, to help you navigate the process and understand the choices available to you. For example, Amazon KDP provides an ISBN for free through their publishing portal for print editions, however, this is coded solely for Amazon sales. You’ll want a different ISBN if you plan to sell in bookstores or other retailers.
EDIT, EDIT, AND EDIT A BIT MORE
When you’ve read the same few pages a dozen times, things start to get fuzzy. If you’re decided to hire an editor to help support the finalization of your written content, amazing! However, editing yourself is an option too, as long as you’re prepared for the process. A helpful tip is to break up your book into sections and read the last section to the first, so you don’t accidentally gloss over mistakes accidentally because you’re subconsciously filling in the content in your head as it was written.
Spell check is a helpful tool, but can’t be relied on for everything, especially words that are spelled right but don’t make sense in your prose (e.g. “an” and “and”, both are spelled right, so spell check wouldn’t flag this). Mistakes are inevitable, but do your best and leave enough time prior to your planned publication date to feel like there was enough time for content finalization.
CHOOSE YOUR PRICE WISELY
Your book price should be in line with the market rate for a similar edition, with respect to the profit you’d like to make. Amazon KDP has different pricing models with suggestions, outlining production costs and your expected royalties. You’ll want to find your “sweet spot” where the value of your offering aligns with your reader’s expectations. Contrary to popular thinking, a lower book cost doesn’t always mean more sales, and could even negatively affect buyer perception in relation to quality. Price your book for what you think is fair and nothing less!
PRINT, E-BOOK, OR BOTH?
If you’ve followed the formatting instructions correctly, the document you’ve created along with the cover art should be flexible enough to use for both print and e-book versions. Some avid readers have completely digitized their book collections, and even rent e-books from their local library branches instead of the print versions. But there are also die-hard “analog” book lovers who enjoy the experience of leafing through freshly printed pages and disconnecting from the screen for their reading experience. Think about offering both options to cater to a variety of readers. If you are convinced your audience has a preference for one or the other, start with one version and expand to another if you receive feedback that readers would like an alternative.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT MARKETING
Printing your book is one thing. Getting the word out is another. Think outside the box when it comes to marketing your book. While digital ads and partnering with influencers to help support your release is an option, sometimes the simplest effort, as long as it’s rooted in authenticity, can go viral. Consider a drawing where your social media followers receive a free edition. Create a scavenger hunt where if readers post about your book, they could be entered to send a copy to a friend. Do an Instagram live session, reading excerpts from your book and answering questions about your writing process. Thinking about teaching a writing workshop yourself to relay learnings to others who may want to go on a similar self-publishing journey. Seek to share your passion behind the content you’ve written and the marketing will come naturally as your audience discovers your story.
IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, SUBMIT A CORRECTION
One of the beautiful things about self-publishing is that you own the manuscript outright. This gives you complete control over subsequent corrections or updated versions. Amazon KDP, for example, welcomes small content edits to a previously published manuscript, without the requirement of establishing another ISBN or book listing. If you discover a typo, or you have a sentence that is reading clunky, you can go in and make an update without disrupting the buyer experience. As long as you retain the overall structure of your book, meaning you aren’t editing entire pages or chapters, this process is a great way to manage small “fixes” within your book.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’RE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
Your story is so important and deserves to be heard. Unfortunately, studies show that there is so much toxic gatekeeping in the literary world related to who is considered a “professional writer and author” and who is an “amateur”. Self-publishing offers a way to elevate voices and narratives that are typically suppressed and retain control over the process from start to finish.
If you’ve decided to self-publish, you are not only an author, writer, and publisher but a digital marketer, business person, and creative director because you are leading on each element from ideation to the final product. You’ve shown that you have an incredibly valuable skill set outside of what it took to craft your original book idea in the first place.
Congratulations on bringing your idea to the world and gifting others with the opportunity to read your story!
WordSpark Digital Consulting is a social impact consultancy based on the East Coast. Ready to learn more about how you can use effective strategy to deepen your connection with relevant audiences? Let’s connect.