When you want to publish your first book, you might not know how the publishing world works. Plus, you might not have an agent or traditional publishing house backing you. You can use these tips to publish your own book, get it on the market, and continue to create or get picked up by a publisher. Everyone writes for their own reasons, and that is why you should make your own path while following these steps.
1. Do You Have A Budget?
Sam Haskell recommends that you create a budget for your project if you are self-publishing. You may not have a budget at all, and some services allow you to publish your books for free. You may, however, want to make a splash on the market. When this is the case, you must be willing to spend some money on publishing. Set a budget that you think is reasonable, work within that budget, and get as many services as you can for your money.
If you do not have a budget or do not want to spend money, you should use the other four tips on this list to ensure that your book is marketed properly. You do not need to spend money to self-publish, and you can use some of the money you make to improve your next book or series.
2. Create A Cover That Makes Readers Think
You may be captivated by professional book covers that were made by professional artists. However, you may want to publish your book on a shoestring budget. If this is the case, you can create a cover on your own or ask a friend to create the cover. More than anything, the cover should make the reader think about what is inside the book.
Nice covers are good for continuing series because you want to make your fans feel excited about the next book. You can, however, get everyone’s attention if you have created a very unique cover. The cover might be so simple that people think they are missing something, and that is why you have them hooked. You could even put references to content from the book inside the cover art.
3. Be Picky
You are allowed to be picky when you are publishing your book. You may not like the first agent that gets back to you, or you might not like a publisher that takes an interest in your work. If you go with a publisher that makes you sign a complex contract, gives you a tiny advance, and does not market your book, you could be stuck because that publisher is not invested in you.
You can grow your following with a smaller publisher or publish your books yourself. You should also not release your book until you are ready. Some authors get antsy when they want to publish, and they often publish a work that is not finished.
4. Set Up Social Media Accounts
You need social media accounts that will help you get noticed online. Your books can have their own social media accounts, or you can set up an author account. You may also want to set up social media accounts for characters in your books. You can create an online presence that publishers like to see, and you can use that presence to get more money, get a better contract, or to sell more books through the self-publishing tool you have used.
5. Edit As Much As You Can
It can be very tiresome looking at your own book for months or even years at a time. You must, however, continue to edit until you think the book is ready. If you need someone to read the book for you, you can hire a beta reader. You might hire an editor, or you might want your self-publishing company to assign you an editor.
As you are editing, do not be afraid to cut out words or even sentences. You can trim the book to a length that is much easier to read, and you will give your customers something that they can enjoy without feeling like the book will never end.
Conclusion
Sam Haskell also recommends that you not release your book until you are ready to promote it on social media. You can post about your book often, and you can create hashtags for your book that will make it easier for people to find you online. Those same hashtags can be used when you are choosing categories in a self-publishing tool. You want to make your book easy to find and exciting. At the same time, you can release a book that you have edited well, that has an interesting cover, and that can be found by any reader who is interested in your genre
