10 Essential Writing Tips for Successful Self-Publishing
If you are planning on publishing a book of your own, you should try to have it self-published. What is self-publishing? It is the process of publishing a book without the help of a traditional publishing house.
It is a fairly new method of publishing, and a good number of writers have used it to great success. Before you get started on the self-publishing process, you should have a set strategy. Here are some essential writing tips for self-publishing success.
1. Be honest with your budgeting.
If there is one thing you should remember if you’re going to self-publish, it is the fact that it will cost you money. So if you are going to self-publish your book, you should make sure that you have all the necessary funds to complete the self-publishing process. Self-publishing usually takes time, and if you don’t have the necessary resources, you may end up stopping midway.
2. Learn as much about the self-publishing process as possible.
While self-publishing may seem a bit simple at first, it is in fact a very complex endeavor, and you will need to know everything you can about the self-publishing process. Here are a few things you should know about the self-publishing process:
You will need to pay for the whole self-publishing process.
As stated earlier, self-publishing will cost you money. This is because you are expected to pay for the whole self-publishing process. This is because you won’t have a traditional publishing house that will pay for the whole process. As a rule, you should ensure that you have enough money to last you throughout the whole process.
You will need to do all the work yourself.
Don’t expect to have it easy throughout the whole self-publishing process. You won’t have a team of publishing professionals unless, of course, you hire them. Remember that self-publishing has various parts that you will need to take into account, so you should be prepared to work hard.
Bookstores are wary of self-published books.
Yet another aspect of self-publishing that you should be aware of is the fact that bookstores are wary of self-published books. This is because they consider bookstores to be too risky, and they usually don’t have a fan base or a traditional publishing house to back them up. Overall, finding a book distributor will be a bit of an uphill battle.
You’ll be able to start right away.
On a positive note, you won’t have to wait too long to self-publish your book. You don’t have to send out your manuscript to traditional publishing houses or wait for them to accept or reject it. Instead, you will be able to get started on the self-publishing process as soon as possible. Just be sure that your manuscript is in the best condition possible and that you have enough funds to last you through the whole self-publishing process.
You won’t have to face rejection from traditional publishing houses.
Trying out for traditional publishing houses is usually a harrowing experience because the majority of publishing houses are very picky about the books that they will sign. There is a good chance that you will be rejected. By going the self-publishing route, you will no longer have to face multiple rejections just to get your book published.
You’ll get to keep all the rights and a majority of the royalties for your book.
Another benefit of self-publishing your book is that you will be able to keep all the rights to your book and a majority of the royalties for every book sold. If you go with a traditional publishing house, you may get a payment upfront, but you’ll give a big percentage of your book rights and royalties to the publishing house.
In general, traditional publishing house authors only get around 7.5% royalties for paperback sales and 15% royalties for hardcover sales.
You will also lack creative control over the book. Overall, you won’t be able to run the self-publishing process according to your wishes. By taking the self-publishing route, you have a big chance of earning more royalties while still being able to control every aspect of your book.
3. Utilize print-on-demand technology.
A key part of self-publishing a book is using print-on-demand technology. What is print-on-demand technology? It is a technology wherein a manuscript is stored in digital form. A book will only be printed after readers pay for a printed copy. This technology is a key reason why self-publishing is more doable.
Before print-on-demand technology, self-publishing authors had to pay a great deal of money in order to print out copies of their work. Printing out a lot of physical copies is very risky because there is no guarantee that these books will be sold right away.
By using print-on-demand services, you’ll be able to minimize this risk. Instead, your potential readers will need to buy the book before a physical copy is printed. Aside from print-on-demand technology, you could also convert your books into audiobooks and eBooks. These publishing options will all minimize the risks of physical copies.
4. Set up an author blog.
Being a self-published author, you will need to ensure that you market your book as effectively as possible. Remember that you don’t have a team of book marketers to help you with the book marketing process. If you want to market your book as effectively as possible, it is always a good idea to start with an author blog. By setting up an author blog, you are technically creating an online platform from which you could post other aspects of your content, such as articles, poems, and excerpts from your book. You must post your author bio on your author blog.
This will allow potential readers to know more about you as both a writer and as a person. Aside from your author bio, you could also keep in contact with your fan base through your author blog. The author blog may also be a great platform where you could set up an online bookstore. This will enable you to post about your books and directly sell them to your readers.
If you want a great example of a great author blog platform, you should check out J.K. Rowling’s website, jkrowling.com, which is a perfect example of a well-made site. The images used are pleasing to the eye, the content is updated on a regular basis, and the overall design captures the essence of J.K. Rowling as an author.
5. Reach out to fellow writers.
Yet another way you could enhance your reputation as a writer is to reach out to fellow writers. Remember that writers need other writers to thrive. Try to join groups that are especially for writers. These groups could be writing classes or book clubs. What’s important is that these groups are made up of writers who could give you feedback, support, and advice throughout the self-publishing process.
Some great examples of great writing groups are WattPad, Commaful, Critique Circle, and NaNoWriMo, to name but a few. These communities are quite popular and have thousands of users, which will give you a lot of opportunities to connect and grow as a writer.
6. Market your book effectively.
Aside from setting up an author blog, there are other ways that you could market your book. An efficient way is to use social media platforms. Here are some great platforms that you could use in your book marketing.
Facebook: While Facebook has been around for more than a decade, it still keeps its place as the most popular social media site in the world. The platform has over 2.95 billion users. This is why you should have a Facebook page for your work. When you set up your Facebook page, you should make sure to post links to your author blog and other platforms.
Twitter: This social media platform is a great way to spread the word about your book and other works through short but informative Tweets. Over 396.5 million people use the platform globally, so it is very powerful as a book marketing tool.
TikTok: As a social media platform, TikTok is a great way to start a trend or market new products. TikTok has over 1 billion global users, and many authors use this platform to keep their fan base interested.
Instagram: If you want to enhance your book marketing through images and videos, you should use Instagram. This website has over 1.21 billion users and is one of the most powerful social media platforms in existence.
7. Hire quality publishing professionals.
If you are going to achieve self-publishing success, it is important that you hire quality publishing professionals. While you may be a skilled writer, you have yet to understand every aspect of the self-publishing process. There will be a lot of editing, printing, marketing, and distribution throughout the process. If you are not prepared, you will most likely find yourself taking on too many tasks. Take the time to check the internet for publishing professionals that will help you throughout the self-publishing process. Look for these particular publishing professionals.
Editors
Before you have your book published, it is important that the final manuscript be as error-free as possible. This is why you should hire skilled editors. These publishing professionals specialize in editing books through various phases and will also enhance specific aspects of your manuscript.
If you want to hire trustworthy and skilled book editors, you could try Facebook or LinkedIn. You may also try the Editorial Freelancers Association, Manuscript Wishlist, and NY Book Editors, to name but a few.
Book cover designer
The very first thing that your readers will see about your book is its cover. This means that you should invest in a truly great book cover design. You should invest in a great book cover designer that will enhance the overall aesthetic of your book. The designer should also be able to convey what your book is about through your book cover designs.
When looking for potential book cover designers, you should try out LinkedIn. It is the top platform for professionals, and there are many skilled publishing professionals that look for jobs through this site. You may also check sites such as Upwork, Reedsy, and Kindle Forum.
Print-on-demand services
As stated earlier, print-on-demand technology is a very important aspect of the self-publishing process. As a rule, you should ensure that you get a company that offers the best services at the best prices.
Book marketer
While you could do the majority of the book marketing yourself, there are always a few things that you may not be familiar with, or you may just overlook a few details. A book marketer will allow you to optimize every aspect of your book marketing.
If you want to hire a book marketer, they are very easy to find. Sites such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Reedsy always post available publishing professionals.
8. Try out self-publishing companies.
While you could choose to hire publishing professionals yourself, you could also try out self-publishing companies. These companies specialize in helping authors self-publish their works. They usually have a large roster of skilled editors, book cover designers, book marketers, and various book marketing platforms that you could use. If you are going to hire a self-publishing company, you should ensure that they are trustworthy and offer only affordable and quality services. You should also check out testimonials from other writers who have worked with these companies. The more testimonials, the better the company will be.
If you are going to hire a self-publishing company, you should also take the time to check their contracts. Ensure that you will get to keep the full rights to your book, and the majority of the royalties will also be yours. Milton & Hugo is a great example of a complete and trustworthy self-publishing company. They offer multiple services that range from publishing to distribution and marketing. They also offer fair royalty rates and really help client authors achieve their publishing goals.
9. Look for alternative book distribution methods.
A key setback for most self-publishing authors is the fact that most bookstores are wary about selling self-published books. This makes it difficult for self-published authors to market and then distribute their books to would-be readers. It is a main goal for self-published authors to look for an alternative book distribution method. There are some alternative book distribution methods that you could use. You could use your author blog as an online bookstore; you could also sell your work through various online retailers; and you could also use specialized eBook and audiobook distribution methods.
10. Don’t rush the process.
Although you may have taken the self-publishing route because you don’t want to wait for a traditional publishing deal, this does not mean you should rush. Remember that self-publishing is a very multifaceted process, and if you rush it, you may end up making a lot of mistakes.
Overall, you should at least give yourself as much time as possible. Take your time with the editing, printing, marketing, and book distribution. By taking your time with every aspect of the process, you will be able to minimize your chances of making mistakes.
Final Thoughts
If you are thinking of self-publishing a book of your own, it is important that you know what to do and what to expect. Self-publishing a book may be possible these days; however, it still takes some strategy to get it right. With these essential tips, you’ll have a set guide for attaining self-publishing success.
