7 Essential Tips for Staying Motivated During the Self-Publishing Process

As you begin your self-publishing adventure, you may be surprised at how many factors you must consider. This is quite common because self-publishing is a work-intensive procedure in which you are responsible not just for publication but also for marketing. This is in contrast to traditional publishing, in which the publishing house handles every step of the publishing process.

That is a lot on your plate, and it is possible that you will lose motivation to write in the long term. If you lose motivation, you will not be able to reach your self-publishing goals.  But don't worry. You may self-publish your book and remain motivated in the long haul. You just need to know where to begin and the right advice. Here are seven essential tips for staying motivated during the self-publishing process.

• Do Your Research

Self-publishing a book of your own is not an easy endeavor. It is the same thing as going into battle. You will need to be armed with knowledge and wits in order to get through it. As a rule, you should make sure to do as much research as possible.

This includes your chosen genre, your marketing methods, and the printing options that are open to you. By doing your research properly, you will know the obstacles that await you and be as prepared as possible.

• Get the best advice possible

Aside from doing research, it is also a good idea to get advice from people who have already self-published a book. Remember that self-publishing a book is not like traditional publishing. You will do most of the work by yourself, and it could get very scary and disheartening.

This is why you should reach out to fellow writers who have already self-published a book. Self-publishing a book has a lot of obstacles, and having a mentor to guide and encourage you is very valuable in the long run.

• Don’t be afraid to get professional help

Self-publishing a book does not only require your attention or funds. You will also need the services of a printer, a book marketer, and access to online and physical bookstores. As a newbie self-publisher, you will not really know the first thing about self-publishing a book. It is very easy to waste time, effort, and money if you don’t know what you are doing.

By getting professional help, you will at least have help from people who actually know how to publish a book. Some great examples of publishing professionals are book cover designers, book editors, and website designers, to name but a few. These professionals often offer their services on a freelance basis, and their prices often vary depending on their skillset and experience.

If you want more comprehensive help, though, you should reach out to self-publishing companies. These companies specialize in helping self-published writers publish and market their books. For a reasonable fee, you won’t have to struggle with the editing, publishing, marketing, and distribution of your book. Just make sure that you do your research first before hiring any self-publishing company. Carefully assess their services and your own budget before you work with any self-publishing company.

• Assess your budget

While a good number of self-publishing authors don’t want to talk about money, it is still an important aspect of the self-publishing process. While you can write a manuscript for free, self-publishing a book costs money. Book cover designers and printers cost money to hire. So do book marketing platforms and specialists.

As a rule, you should take a look at your bank account and decide whether you can self-publish your manuscript right now. It is a sobering thought for any creative person to have to think about money; however, you will need to be realistic about your situation if you are going to self-publish your book the right way. You don’t want to start self-publishing your book and run out of money halfway through. Overall, you should have a set budget and stick to it as much as possible.

• Lay off the pressure

If you are self-publishing a book for the very first time, you may feel pressured to succeed. You did put in a lot of time into writing the manuscript, and you want to get something out of all that hard work. However, if you are going to self-publish a book, you should understand that there is really no guarantee that your book will succeed right away. If you put pressure on yourself to succeed on your first try, you may end up distracting yourself. You may become so occupied with gaining success that you forget to enjoy the process.

• Read new content

A great way to stay motivated during the self-publishing process is to read new content on a regular basis. This is not only a great way to inspire yourself during the self-publishing process, but it will also give you ideas on how to improve your work. This is especially important when you are editing your book before it gets printed. You will at least have the opportunity to change aspects of your work before the final manuscript is published.

• Take your time 

Self-publishing a book could take a good amount of time, and if you don’t have the patience, you will be tempted to speed up the whole process. However, you should resist this impulse. Instead, you should take your time with the process. This will allow you to enjoy the fact that you are self-publishing a book for the very first time. It will also prevent you from making unnecessary mistakes in the long run.  

Conclusion

Having your manuscript self-published is a big deal. The endeavor is also challenging, and you will need to put in a lot of time and effort. As you self-publish your work, you may end up losing your motivation. With these tips, you will have the necessary knowledge and tricks to fulfill your self-publishing dreams.