I recently published my first book, and one thing that I struggled with, was knowing what steps to take and when to take them. If you want to self-publish a book and you have no idea what to do then this post is for you.
The first thing that I did once I was done (mostly) with writing my manuscript was post on social media to see if anyone could get me in touch with professional editors. One of my good friends recommended Kristen Corrects (link to website below). I reached out to her and she walked me through the process.
Going into this, I did not realize there were different types of editing. Kristen offers Developmental Edits, Manuscript Critiques, Copy Editing, and Line Editing, among others. I felt that I wanted the overhaul with my manuscript and I wanted Kristen to do full developmental edits (develop characters, scenes, dialogue, re-arrange the manuscript so the pacing makes sense, etc). The cost for these services can range from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars per service. I would highly recommend that you start saving early on so you can afford to get a good editor that will work with you one-on-one. If you take a look on Amazon and read reviews for self-published books, you can see that readers know if your book has not been professionally edited.
Once my manuscript was submitted for developmental edits, I started working on a few other things. The first thing I did, was go to the Bowker website to register for a barcode and ISBN number. It is cheaper to purchase these together but the cost is about $150, so make sure you plan for the expense after you submit your manuscript for editing. I will link the website below and I will do another post on a step-by-step walkthrough of how to get your Barcode and ISBN.
If you have a title and an idea for a cover design (do not have to have these for the next step), reach out to graphic designers so you can start brainstorming ideas for your cover. I was connected to my designer through a writers group that I used to go to locally. The author who led that group connected me to her and we met in person to walk through what my book was about and what my vision was for a cover design. I got lucky, because she also was experienced in book formatting, so I was able to book her for both services. If you are unsure on how to get connected with a graphic designer or someone to do formatting, I would recommend reaching out locally and see if there is anyone in your town who can do it.
Next step- and this is a very important step- start marketing! I created a business Facebook page almost six months before publishing. This was a great way for me to share some of my process for writing and give my readers inside looks to what I was working on. I don't think my publish day would have been as successful had I not already had that page and built up hype for my book for months leading up to publishing. About three months before publishing I created a website and shared it on my Facebook page. I googled other Author Websites and also looked up what should be on an Authors website. Since my book was a personal memoir, I used my website to give a personal look into my life.
I used IONOS to create a website which will cost $12 a year. I have used IONOS a lot in the past for other businesses I have had, and I love it. Also, you can cancel at anytime. Once I purchase the website, I also purchased a domain (website name) for $1.99 per year. Again, you can change it at any time or cancel at any time. I will create another post on how to maneuver through the IONOS website.
Okay, this was a lot of information to put into one post, so I will end this one here! Hopefully, this has given you some ideas of what steps to take next if you are publishing!
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