What feels like a huge journey can be deconstructed and seen smaller if it is put on a list. More or less these are the steps you will take if you are going to self publish.
- Develop the book idea. You are a creative person, so what is your book about?
- Research the idea. If you don’t research you may not know what you are writing about. You do not want to get caught writing something and an expert on the matter will point it out. Not the same as being critique.
- Define your target audience. Is it YA? Fantasy? This will help you move forward to the end of writing.
- Create a detailed outline of the book’s content. There are people that do not like outlining. It will help not to get distracted on the story or get away from the purpose. It helps with plot structuring as well.
- Research the book’s potential content. All the components that make your book. Villains, MC, Main conflict, etc.
- Write the manuscript. You need to write. Three sentences a day minimum. 200 words? Just write.
- Establish your publishing company (if applicable). This one is optional.
- Has the manuscript edited? Yes, yes, and yes. One piece of advice after you finish writing take a break. Let the manuscript simmer. When you have fresh eyes read it. Edit it. Re-write. Then get it to someone to help you out edit it some more. You want your book as polished as possible for when it is actually in the wild.
- Choose a self-publishing option, such as offset printing or Print-On-Demand (POD), and then hire a printer and/or publisher. There are many ways that you can use PODs and it would not cost you a cent. There are others that will get you on their system for a fee. There are Pros and Cons that we’ll discuss later.
- Apply for an ISBN, copyright, and other book-specific information, if necessary. PODs like Create Space can help you out with their own ISBN. Others like Ingramspark will need one. It will help to get your book to bookstores if you have one.
- Set the cover price for your book. You work all those hours, now you need to get to make some profit out of it. PODs will set you a suggested price so that the printing price is covered plus you get to win some money.
- Select a publication date. This will help you know your due date. When everything has to be 100%. Look at it as your goal.
- Have the manuscript’s interior pages designed and laid out. Format your book.
- Hire a graphic designer to create your book’s front and back covers. Yes. Yes. And yes. If you are not a graphic designer, let the pros handle this. This is where the line “Judging a book by its cover” will hunt you if let your six-year-old niece draw your book cover… unless it is on purpose or she is freaking awesome. The truth is, there is a percentage of readers that will dismiss your book just because of its cover.
- Develop press materials for your book. You got to promote your baby somehow.
- Plan and implement a comprehensive marketing, public relations, and advertising campaign. Enough said with this one. Use your resources. Social media, conferences. This part #3, will make more sense. You got to speak where your target audience usually has their attention on.
- Develop a Web site to promote your book. Part of the marketing strategy. Maybe your website is your HQ for where people will get the new info on what are you up to or what is your new project.
- Begin pre-selling your book (pre-selling includes sending out press materials, promoting the book to distributors, lining up booksellers to sell the book, taking out ads, and so on).
- Have your book listed with online retailers. You want to get your book as many places as possible. What was your strategy again? The reality is that online retailers can get you further in expanding your book sales.
- Publish the book and ship it to consumers, booksellers, retailers, and distributors.
- Continue promoting and marketing your book as you take orders. From time to time you’ll need to tell people that your already published book is out.