By: Elizabeth S. Craig
Self-publishing is a funny thing—once you finish your book (which can seem like a tremendous endeavor in itself), the real work begins. It’s almost like you’ve won a sprint but then found out that there’s a marathon right afterward. It’s tough to figure out everything from acquiring a production team to promoting a new release on your own. Here are five basics that self-publishers need to know.
Getting your book proofed and edited
Editing is so important. You can cut down on costs by using a variety of different sources to look over your manuscript first … before sending it along to a professional freelance editor. Have beta readers take a look, a critique group, use editing software, etc. These will cut down on the number of errors and typos and make editing your manuscript by a pro a lot less expensive. Other ideas for eliminating errors before contacting an editor can be found in this post by Karl Drinkwater for the ALLi Blog.
Making your book available to readers
Although KDP Unlimited can seem tempting, it’s usually better to go wide if you plan on eventually writing more books. Not all readers will want to read a book digitally, so it’s good to have your book available in print on KDP Print. The converse is also true, so be sure to put out a digital version if your book is currently only available in print. If you go wide, you can upload your book to a variety of retailers directly (Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Kobo), or you can upload to an aggregator like Draft2Digital or Smashwords and have them distribute the book for you (they will take 15% of your net royalties). Going through an aggregator will also make your book available for libraries to purchase your ebooks through Overdrive.
Promo basics
Your website, and any social media handles (your profile name on Facebook, Twitter, etc.) should be your name instead of your book’s name. Who knows how many books or series you may end up publishing in your lifetime? Don’t limit yourself by building a platform around a single book title.
Starting a newsletter signup is free and a no-brainer if you plan on publishing more books in the future. MailChimp is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and they have templates to make the process easier. Include your newsletter signup on your website and email signature.
It can be tough letting others know about your book and authors frequently feel uncomfortable with self-promotion. Some don’t feel uncomfortable and do too much of it, which is another problem. But there are easy ways to let people know you’ve written a book without announcing the fact. You can, as mentioned above, put your website address as part of your email signature (here’s how to do it on Gmail). You can update your Facebook bio and include your book. Mentioning that you’re published also looks nice on LinkedIn profiles, too.
Finding the right resources to help
It can seem overwhelming to self-publish. There’s so much information out there and on so many different sites. Here I’ll mention three that are especially helpful. The first is publishing industry expert Jane Friedman’s excellent blog series. The next is a list of resources and information on the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. And finally, I recommend going to the Alliance of Independent Authors. There’s a membership that offers additional benefits, but the site has a great deal of free information, as well…I’d start with their blog, which is searchable. There is plenty more information on these sites, but this gives you a place to start and they both offer reliable help, which is not always the case online.
About Elizabeth S. Craig
If you’re a self-publishing author, what tips would you like to add here? Or, if you’re starting out, any questions?
Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting Mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the upcoming Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque Mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Follow her on Twitter where she shares writing links or at her blog where she offers tips for writers: http://elizabethspanncraig.com/blog/ . She lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband and is the mother of two.
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Thanks so much for hosting me today, Laura!
Thanks for the helpful information! I hope readers take advantage of it.
Wow, thanks for mentioning the IWSG!
Yes, please make your eBook available everywhere. So many have books only on Amazon but I prefer to get mine from iTunes.
iTunes is a big way to connect with readers! Thanks for coming by, Alex. 🙂
Great information! Thanks, Elizabeth. I’m getting much closer to getting my work out there, so this is definitely getting bookmarked! 🙂
So excited that it’s going well for you, Jemi!!
You covered the basics, including how important it is to hire a professional editor. You have one chance to make a good first impression, and a self-edited book will kill it.
It’s so true. Writers just get too close to the text to be able to see all the mistakes!
Hi Laura – great to get Elizabeth over here with her words of wisdom and succinct outlines for ideas: she knows what she’s talking about. I agree – give yourself a chance to grow … ie don’t limit yourself – you don’t need to do it all now – but it’s there for you and your work to grow into … one book can lead to a series, to an audio book etc … Cheers – great post thank you – Hilary
Thanks for visiting! I’m so glad that Elizabeth’s post was helpful. Good luck in your writing!
Elizabeth is very knowledgeable and her words of advice give us food for thought. Good ideas here – keep all the doors open – we can grow as we start to publish … cheers to you and Elizabeth – Hilary