Quick guide to self publishing

As indicated in my last post traditional publishers are now facing fierce competition from writers who are choosing to self-publish.  If you have written, or are writing, a book that is worth publishing, and you are qualified to make that decision, then what do you need to do in order to make your work available to readers.

The first decision to make is whether to publish your book as hard copy, ebook or both.  If you are going to publish as an ebook then do you want to publish to Amazon and other ebook retailers or do you want to sell your book from your own website as a PDF.  Interestingly PDFs sold from websites tend to have a higher price than those sold on Amazon; remember you will have to drive traffic to your website in order to make sales though.

If you choose hard copy you then need to decide if you want prefer Print on Demand (POD) or to print in bulk and then store your copies prior to sale and distribution.  POD is more expensive per copy but you do not have storage costs.  Remember you need to purchase and assign an ISBN (no legal requirement but essential if you want to bookshops to be able to find your books) and deposit copies with the Copyright Libraries.

Once you have a completed book, you need to ensure it is as good as it can be and is error free.  You need to proofread, polish and edit before you publish.  This is one stage that is difficult to do yourself; you know what you meant to write however this is not always the same as what you have actually written.  If you can pay for a proofreading service, it will be money well spent.

You will need to design a cover and/or jacket for your book.  Again you can do this this yourself if you have the skills.  Remember that for both ebooks and hard copy books this is your first opportunity to attract the attention of potential readers.  A cliché I know but readers do judge a book by its cover.  There are some reasonably priced services available if you choose to outsource your cover design.

You have your book written and your cover ready; if you are going to print hard copies you need to select a printer.  You have a number of options including using a local printer, approaching a small publishing house or using a dedicated book printing service.  Ensure you discuss your requirements thoroughly to ensure you choose a printer who can deliver a book that meets your requirements.  Visit the premises and look at sample copies. Ask for a sample of your book prior to committing to a bulk order; this if useful if your final delivery is not of the quality expected or agreed to.

If you want to publish an ebook you will need to convert your work to an appropriate format; different ereaders may require different formats.  Publishing for Kindle is straightforward, as is publishing for other ereaders; check out their websites for step-by-step instructions.  Possibly the main consideration is you may lose any formatting you have applied to your text – the reader can change this to suit their needs and preferences.  Spend some time producing a copy of your book without any text formatting. 

Your book is written and published – you now need to market it if you want to sell copies.  Consider all opportunities available to you and use as many as you can. Her are some activities you could engage with to promote your book:

• Book description and blurb – get this right to entice your potential readers
• Website and blog – set up an author website or blog to promote your books
• Book shop signings – bookshops often welcome local authors
• Radio – again local interest
• Local newspapers – write a press release
• Social media – engage with Facebook and Twitter
• Library readings
• Talk to local groups
• Attend gift fairs.

Start making a list of all the ways you can promote your book.

If you are at the point where you are wondering when you are going to find time to write the next book or have decided that you do not want to undertake all of these tasks yourself then consider using a self-publishing service.  This not the same as vanity publishing.  There are several reputable companies that offer a range of services to support you in producing a high quality book.  Companies like Matador and Silverwood (there are others) offer a wide range of packages and pick and mix services including advice and support (never underestimate the value of these), cover/jacket design, promotion and marketing, proofreading and editing, book production, distribution to bookstores, storage, ebook conversion and also managing sales and invoicing.  As with any service check out independant reviews and visit the company, always look for examples of books produced and agree up front the services you require.  Set yourself a budget and (try) to stick to it.

As with anything else you design or produce, if you truly believe in it then why not invest in it.  You may find you are spending a lot of time on non-writing activities in order to see your book in print and then make those sales; you might find you even enjoy these activities as much as you enjoy writing!

Happy publishing.