SELF-PUBLISHING 101, INTRODUCTION
I hear it every year, and mostly from myself. “This is the year I will publish my book.” Then your excitement and determination fades and soon it’s December with your manuscript unfinished and/or unpublished.
THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT, right?
You’ve made another New Year’s Resolution: to get published. But do you really know what it means? Self-publishing is much more than writing the manuscript and producing it into digital or print formats—much more.
The following series will take you through all the steps for not only self-publishing your work but providing the best foundation that you can to make it a success. This is no small feat, just as it is not a short list. When I say all I mean ALL. (Well, perhaps it won’t be all, but it will be a lot.)
Partial list of what you need to accomplish for self-publishing.
These are not in order. In fact, many should be started or near completion before you finish your manuscript.
- Create a marketing plan
- Find a professional editor
- Find a professional cover designer
- Produce your book in both print and ebook format
- Obtain endorsements and pre-reviews
- Write a press release
- Write a killer elevator pitch
- Purchase and setup ISBN
- Register your Copyright
- Offer giveaways, contests
- Use Social Media accounts
- Maintain a website presence
- Promote and Market
The road to publication can be short or winding. It honestly depends on who you are and how successful you want your novel to be. Competition is fierce. Every day thousands of new books flood the market vying for the attention and money of the world’s readers. So how do you improve your chances of rising above the din? One word: Planning.
