Katherine Monet
This guide is important for writers who want to self–publish their books without stress to release their stories to the world, rather than preparing a book launch. This guide will offer ease in your journey to get published faster instead of going beyond your limits.
In this post, I’ll provide 12 steps to achieve your self–publishing dream come true.
Step 1: Writing Projects
Every writing project is different. Once your work is finished and edited as much as you could, it’s best to find an editor on Fiverr that works for your writing project. No matter how much we can edit to perfection of our own work, you’ll always need others who are more open-minded than you and find what you have missed.
Remember that you want to have a seamless flow of writing projects one after another. When you do this, you’ll be constantly busy with so many projects, and you get to see firsthand how much progress you’ll make. Set yourself up with a month by month plan of writing projects, it’s fun and productive.
Step 2: Presence
If you want to release your book and get tons of sales, before getting your feet wet and publishing, work on your online and real life presence. Get on Instagram and share your writing projects to gain followers and maybe start a YouTube Channel on a topic you’re excited about, start a blog, and from there you’ll grow. It’s a process.
Get out there into the world, go to book sales, libraries, festivals, and events you see coming and promote your work to others, and share your blog with them in a business card. After all, the writing industry is a business.
Step 3: Author Site
Your next big step is to start your author site. This is where you’ll showcase your books, write about yourself, connect to your blog, have a store, and contact form. An author site will help you stand out more and show off your book covers.
You can search online on how to create an author site, there’s so many sources you can try. But a word of advice on how to do this, your best bet is to use WordPress. Do some research before you go head on and start designing.
Step 4: Promote, Promote, Promote
The more you write and publish, it’s the constant game of promotion. There are so many ways to create hype and get noticed more. Hopefully, by now you would have a good following, that way you can create a sign up for people to get news on your latest awesome writing project, post on your socials about the eBook and audiobook version of your book, go to bookstores in your neighborhood and ask them to sell it, and the more you put out there, the greater the outcome will be.
Step 5: Where To Find Editors?
Previously in the first step, you can look for editors on Fiverr. But there are other sources to find editors if you think Fiverr isn’t good for you, you can search at Reedsy, BookBaby, First Editing, PaperTrue, Kirkus Editorial, and so much more.
Step 6: Proofread Copy
By the time you’re almost ready to find your editor, once you have finished your final round of edits, you can order your proof copy [a draft bounded version of your book to proofread]. Your proof copy edit is so important, for your editor’s sake, and formatting.
You can have your book set up in Amazon KDP, or IngramSpark to order your proof copy.
Step 7: Beta Readers
Beta readers can be anyone in your personal life, someone who will be honest with you. By that I mean, to be open to criticism of your work. Your book won’t be as perfect as it can be if you don’t allow room for improvement. Ask your parents, your sister, brother, cousin, anyone.
If your family isn’t enough. Then you can go to a community site for writers to share their work online, or even share it on Wattpad and get feedback.
Step 8: The Tour
Touring the internet wave, is to find book bloggers or similar sites to review your book. Think of it as an online version of a book launch. This is when you can apply to be an author on Goodreads. Promote, promote, promote everywhere you can to get your book noticed. You can also do BookBub ads, to get the word out.
Step 9: Reviewers
Once you get bloggers, and reviewers reviewing your book, then it’s going to reach a greater audience. Have you seen praises in a book from The Toronto Sun, The New Yorker, and many big names? Then that’s what’s happening in this step. If you’re an experienced author or not, you might know what that would feel like, but for the first time it’s daunting, because you want to get the big names to notice you too. To do that, continue getting out there, events, you never know when the opportunity will happen.
You can also visit NetGalley, a website where others can read, review your book too. This can be extremely helpful.
Step 10: Bonuses
Create bonus content for your book. You can create a sample of a few chapters together, create a Spotify soundtrack, ambience, and have handheld merchandise of your book. This is when you can get creative of what bonuses you can give away to your followers / audience. Create something that will get people excited and promote whatever that may be on your social media.
Let your imagination take over, and manufacture bonuses for your audience to enjoy.
Step 11: Announcement
Announcing your book to the world, in final print and ready for everyone to read is exciting. This is when you are preparing for the announcement that it’s ready to order on your author site. Extend the length of the announcement to create hype, drop in your bonuses, an eBook version of your book, and an audiobook too. And you can host an in–person event for the announcement of your book.
Invite friends, family, and your followers too.
Offer at your event some light refreshments and food, want people to come to your event, it’s through their stomachs. People love food. Understand your audience, what is something people want? Food, free stuff, videos, etc. Put in all the works, and you’re golden.
Step 12: OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED!
Now a published author, celebrate, and have a good time, then repeat the entire process until you become one of the greats too!