First off, congratulations on wanting to self-publish your book! This is an exciting but somewhat daunting task. Don’t worry; if I managed to do this and come out (mostly) in one piece, so can you! I rounded up some things that helped me along the way, and I hope they help you, too.
P.S. You’re welcome!
Choosing A Word Processor
A word processor is a program or device that inputs, edits, and formats text (Typewriters, Microsoft Word, Open Office, Notepad, Google Docs, etc.). There isn’t much of a fuss about which word processor you choose; it depends on which one you feel more comfortable using and has the features you desire. I used Google Docs though I formatted Ingredients of Singleness on another program (I’ll explain later).
Book Cover
Canva, Canva, CANVA! Canva was my lifesaver when making a book cover. If Canva isn’t your thing, a few other sites do the same thing. A note about uploading my Canva design on IngramSpark, I had to download and buy Adobe features to get the dimensions right to upload it without an issue. It was one of the most frustrating parts of putting the book together, but when I got it, it was worth it.
Putting It All Together
Editing
When doing the final review, if you don’t want to get an editor, it would help to get Grammarly. Though Grammarly isn’t always right, it’s able to shorten and clarify sentences, provide synonyms, and catch grammatical errors you may have missed. Here are some free alternatives, too.
Typesetting
Typesetting is setting material in type or into a form used in printing. There are a few ways to typeset your book, but my favorite (free) method is using Reedsy! Reedsy is a startup author service that bridges authors to freelance publishing services. The site also has marketing tools and statistics that help you see how your book is doing. Though those services aren’t free, the formatting feature is! For example, if you made a manuscript on Google Docs, you can copy your content page-for-page, insert images, style your chapter headings, make your preface and dedication, and more! Check them out (and help a sister out): https://reedsy.com/r/elizabeth-sowell
Researching The Best Self-Publishing Company For You
The thing with self-publishing is that they’re so many options that it seems overwhelming and confusing. Thankfully, there’s a website that breaks down all the different self-publishing companies you can use, their price ranges, and reviews from the Alliance of Independent Authors (they’re cool). After I reviewed the options on the site, it was a toss between IngramSpark, BookBaby, and Lulu, but I ended up choosing IngramSpark due to the price point with book distribution, printing costs, and their royalties rates! Check out the site for yourself to research and compare prices between companies.*
*Check in occasionally to make sure the company you chose is in good standing.
To Ebook or Print
That is the question, am I right? I’d say why not do both! I’ll admit ebooks are much easier to fix and send out if you make a grammatical or spelling mistake. If you make a spelling error in a printed copy, and you print two hundred of them, you not only have to send in the corrections but figure out how to get rid of the old books! If you choose to print, only print one copy for yourself to review before sending out hundreds. It’ll save you a headache; TRUST ME. If you’re doing a printed book, some things to ponder are what kind of cover you’d like (hardcover or paperback), exterior design, book type, and all that jazz! Some good places to start answering these questions are here and here.
Plan Your Release Date
When planning your release date, consider how much time you need to write the book and how long it will take to review your work before submitting a proof of your book (maybe three weeks or so). You’ll also have to think about what your pre-launch promotion will look like (for example, will you start promoting three or six months before it goes live and how will you do that), the barriers to your launch (like ensuring you have an ISBN), the list goes on. Even if you’re still writing the book, research these issues and make notes for yourself so you’re not thrown into a frenzy trying to get everything together to print days before your launch. It may be helpful to make a timeline for when you’d like to meet specific targets but be kind to yourself if you don’t make them (life’s nuts, you know). Also, keep in mind that there may be delays to your book launch out of your control, like print delays, a system malfunction that may hinder your ebook release, something that happened in your personal life to throw you for a loop, etc. In these moments, breathe, take a step back, and use adaptive coping skills to get you through since freaking out will drive up your blood pressure.
Market Your Book
For the record, I’m bad at this part! Initially, I thought that marketing was going to places and screaming, “BUY MY BOOK,” at people. But if you don’t tell anyone about it, how’s anyone going to know the book exists? Most self-publishing companies have a marketing service, but you may want to do it yourself like me. A simple way to market my book was using social media. It kind of bites me in the backside because I’m not on social media a lot, but it’s better than nothing. It helps to schedule when you want to post about your book and how often. If you’re going to get fancy, you can book a photoshoot to help you feel confident about posting your work but save up for that (about $1000+ just in case). I did my photoshoot with Jajhira Photography, and she did a marvelous job (she did my “About E” and admin photo)! You can also stage your photoshoot though you may need some help with the camera, lighting, props, etc. Another way to get your book out there is to reach out to your niche via social media or in-person to snag some readers, and if they like it, they can promote it. It also helps to have said people write reviews on sites where your book is sold. If you’re feeling courageous, seek out podcasters or radio show hosts looking for new authors to interview!
I hope you all found the post informative! For any of you who self-published, do you have any other tips?
