When it comes to publishing a book in today’s modern times, more and more authors are getting accustomed with self-publishing and the advantages of not depending on a publishing house. Writing and publishing books has never been easier, all you need is your talent and a little time for researching and organizing all the details. And while this process is now incredibly easy, there are still things that can go wrong, if you don’t know the basics of self-publishing. Here are ten of the most important aspects of publishing a book on your own.
1. Giving Your Book a Memorable Title is Mandatory
The title of your book is important! It makes the readers want to know more, it gets the interest of literary magazine, fellow authors or reviewers, and it gets you a top place on the shelves. The key to a successful title is to truly know what your writings say to the public, and to not fall into the trap of choosing a title with the sole purpose of a good marketing campaign. You want your readers to understand you, to understand your story, not to look the other way when seeing it in a physical or virtual library.
2. Research Helps. A lot!
Self-publishing requires a little bit more work than giving your book to an editor, you will need to do more than just use your talent in order to offer an excellent reading experience. Some authors get scared by the technical aspects but the truth is that, with a little bit of research and willpower, anyone can master the art of self-publishing. Look at some other independent books, read a little about the actual publishing process, learn about eBooks and how you can benefit from a digital library and get acquainted with basic marketing strategies.
3. Picking a Niche is Important
It is a known fact that niche books tend to be more successful than the others so, if are not already done with your book, or if you feel that some changes won’t affect your vision, consider picking a niche before publishing the book.
4. Costs and Earnings Should Be Well Evaluated
Authors don’t usually worry about things like costs, earnings or any other financial gain that comes from their books, but given the fact that we are talking about self-publishing, and that you will have to put some money into the process, you might want to know some things about the financial aspects as well. For example, eBooks cost less to be published, most virtual libraries and marketing via social media networks are free and put your book on a worldwide marketplace. Also, you need to keep in mind the costs of ISBN (if you will need one) and the costs of a good cover design.
5. Digital Publishing Has More Advantages
eBooks and eBook readers are gaining more and more popularity! We all love books, we love their smell and turning their pages, we love how they look on our shelves but no one can deny that eBooks are practical and easy to read. A virtual library is not conditioned by the size of one’s living room, and an eBook readers can be taken anywhere. Not to mention the low costs of publishing eBooks and having a page on a virtual library. Easy distribution, easy delivery, publishing unlimited copies or environmental-friendly are also great advantages of the digital alternative. Even if you decide to go with traditional publishing, you should also offer the eBook version.
6. Readers Will Judge Your Book by Its Cover
As much as all of us would like this to not be true, readers often choosing the books they read by their cover design is a known fact in the publishing world. And if you think about it, with the high amount of books being published, who can blame them? The design of your book cover is as important as the title or the flawless editing, if you want people to not pass by your book, or scroll down when they see it, you need to get their attention. The ideal path for a great cover design is knowing exactly what you want to express and finding a good designer.
7. You Will Need to Create More Than One eBook
As eBooks and eBook readers go, there are a number of formats available, and your book will not look good or even not open on all of them if you only create it in one format. Even if it sounds complicated, all you need to do is research eBooks formats online and you should know all about it in less than 30 minutes. As a reader, I have often come across eBooks with special formatting or page design, if you want something like that for your book, don’t forget to see how it can affect the book on a digital reading device. It is frustrating to find a great book but having to zoom in on every page because its design shadows the writing.
8. Your Books Needs Reviews
Since the development of internet and social media networks, authors and readers have the possibility to interact and discuss about books, and this aspect should be well-explored by authors, especially the ones that self-publish their books. The internet is filled with pages about readers’ communities, there are also reviewing companies that offer their services for free, all you need to do is realize that your book needs exposure. Websites such as Goodreads are great places for authors and readers alike, and a review always helps the author. If it is a good review, it has more value than any other marketing strategy, and if it is a bad one, you can always use it as constructive criticism.
9. Socializing Helps
Some authors are prone to loneliness and are not very keen on socializing with other people, but if you are not one of them, social media networks are a great way for you to promote your books and stay in touch with your readers. A Facebook page or Twitter account can go a long way, marketing-wise, and you will soon find that there is no need to pay a PR agency or to create ad campaigns for your book, once you get your readers involved. Not to mention the filling of fulfillment you have when discussing with someone that values your work.
10. Your Book’s Amazon Page is Important
Last on the list is your book’s Amazon page, especially for authors that published eBooks. Take some time to fill in all the details, such as a synopsis for the book, a description for you and add any editorial reviews you might have received, readers will pay more attention to a well-constructed page than one that offers no information what so ever.
Conclusion
As you can see, self-publishing is not so scary, but it does require you to do a little more than write, so if this is not something you like doing, you can also consider choosing a small publishing house or agencies that provide publishing and marketing services, you can find a lot of them online, especially if you only want to publish eBooks.
And the most important aspect of all, never stop loving what you are doing, and never let something get in the way of your inspiration!
