Self-Publish Your Book with These Tips
Are you a first-time author?
When you’ve finished your masterpiece, it’s time to publish. Have you thought about self-publishing?
Traditionally, authors find a literary agent. Then, the agent works tirelessly to find a publisher that best fits your needs. Traditional publishing is a grueling process.
Self-publishing is a worthwhile alternative. In short, authors can save so much of their time and energy publishing themselves. Further, self-published authors don’t have an earnings cap, and aren’t locked into contracts.
However, self-publishing has its own obstacles. Avoid them with these tips:
Hire a proven editor
Self-published authors decide whether they want to edit themselves or hand it off to a professional. I’d recommend any author the latter. Authors work endlessly to produce valuable words, so it’s only smart to show them to readers in the best way possible.
A proven editor will fix minor and major mistakes, some of which couldn’t be seen by the author. Again, hiring a proven editor for your self-published book is crucial.
Don’t skip on presentation
Writing the book is difficult as it is. Why write something great, only to have a sloppy finished product? Authors-look over your book for elements such as formatting.
And remember to cover the basics: title, cover, and biography. Appearance isn’t everything, but it’s definitely important! Readers flock to polished self-published books.
Use your creativity
A big reason many authors choose to write is to tell their story with passion. Let your creativity shine through your words. One of the major reasons for self-publishing is you get to make all the creative decisions.
This is your baby, and you can steer it to fit a specific vision. When you sign with a publisher, the major decisions ultimately fall in their lap.
Have confidence in your book
I’m not advising you to be cocky! Even authors on Amazon’s top 100 list have made mistakes along the way. However, trust in your capability to tell a story, to entertain or to make someone happy.
Self-published authors need to deal with poor reviews, keeping composure, social media, etc…Developing thick skin is important, especially for self-published authors.
Have an action plan
Traditional publishing means authors have less control, but even less to maintain. Self-published authors require some sort of plan to get the ball rolling.
If first time authors release their self-published online, they’ll notice eventually it does not market itself! A self-published novel is like a beautiful painting ready to be shared!
Consistency is key
Just like a blogger who strikes out occasionally, an author could have a similar experience. A struggling self-published author must remain patient through choppy waters.
Maybe sales dropped from last month. Or your novel’s rating sunk from a few bad reviews. Get up, dust yourself off, and get back to writing. Readers love dedicated authors.
Enjoy the process
It wasn’t easy getting where you are. You published your first book. And it’s only a matter of time before readers are lining up to read your masterpiece!
A while back, I published my own e-book. I received a few kind comments. Although I’m by no means a bestseller, those comments meant so much to me.
Well, what are you waiting for! Get started on your next book (I want to read it).
