It takes a lot of work to be a published author. There was also a different sense of pride when you could make your first book sell to the public. As a first-time published author, the more significant challenge may come from finding a publishing company to pass your manuscript. Not everyone who can write a book gets accepted by their chosen publisher. For this reason, independent authors choose to self-publish.
Essential rules to follow on how to be a self-published author
It’s critical to know what you want in terms of service and price if you want to self-publish a book. On some websites, authors have the option to release an ebook, print copies, or both.
Check out the following tips if you want to learn how to self-publish a book:
Adopt the correct format
Some websites only allow books saved in or converted to a specific format to be published. For instance, MOBI files work best for Amazon authors publishing on Kindle, while EPUB files are the industry standard for ebooks and can be accessed by most devices.
You can also upload your book as a PDF, but to sell it on most ebook sites, it must be converted into the appropriate format (using conversion software or a paid service).
Obtain an ISBN
If you want your book to be sold in bookstores and libraries as a hard copy, research how to get an ISBN number (International Standard Book Number). You can purchase one from the self-publishing website or a different website offering them for sale.
Many ebooks do not require an ISBN, but some self-publishing websites may ask you to obtain one, so be sure to read the guidelines.
Examine Online Stores
Regarding royalty rates, linking, pricing, or distribution information, many booksellers have their own rules. Authors can publish their books on some websites for free in a digital format. In contrast, others may charge a fee for advertising services or even provide print-on-demand services, which is helpful for authors who want to offer physical copies but don’t want to deal with unsold inventory.
When choosing the self-publishing website that best serves your needs, do your research, as each has unique advantages and resources.
Purchase a quality cover
Indeed, there is a “book judgment” phenomenon. And now that so many books are bought online, those covers must still look good in thumbnail form.
A book’s cover establishes a mood that prompts readers to make an instant judgment about whether the book deserves their continued attention based on the colors, images, font selections, and overall design.
A well-done book cover tells readers that the writing inside will likely be of a similar professional caliber, while a shoddy book cover gives the opposite impression. The success of a book is greatly influenced by its body, so spending the time and money to make the best one possible is well worth it.
Hire a professional if you are not a graphic designer by trade or if you lack experience in this field. They are aware of design fundamentals and what makes an adequate cover.
Many excellent designers have the skills to produce an outstanding, captivating cover.
Establish Your Price
You have everything you need to start uploading the different retailers, but I advise doing a few more things first. When publishing your book, you’ll have to make tough choices that might throw you in a loop.
One of the essential areas in which newer authors are most likely to have misconceptions is pricing. Pricing has been entirely altered by self-publishing and ebooks. The difference in book prices between self-publishers and traditional publishers is the biggest one.
While traditional publishers use ebook pricing as a bulwark to slow the transition to digital and protect the print market, self-publishing frequently views price as a lever. Self-publishers need to understand that traditional publishers’ desire to reduce the appeal of ebooks to readers leads to a great deal of nonsense about pricing.
The most frequent fallacy among authors is to conflate price and value and believe that the price you charge for your book reflects or affects that value. Expert self-publishers, however, see pricing as a marketing tool.
Those who have published a few books are aware that the price on the book’s cover is not as significant as the revenue the book generates, and they will frequently choose the price that will bring in the most money.
The advantages of learning book self-publishing
Let’s begin with the advantages. Because self-publishing eliminates the need for new authors to wait for a traditional publishing house to accept their manuscripts, it has grown in popularity.
You are in control of your success! We’ll review it below; it also lets you benefit from a few additional advantages.
Accelerated time to market
Before their books are printed, most authors who work with traditional publishing houses finish their manuscripts months, if not years, in advance. Waiting for their book to be published is difficult for many authors.
You can advance using specific self-publishing platforms after learning how to do it within a few days.
This means that you can start generating buzz for your book much earlier than you would with a traditional publishing house.
Increased royalties
When you learn how to self-publish, you will receive higher royalties because there is no traditional publishing house taking a cut. This implies that you will receive more money directly from book sales.
Remember that your book distributor and printing costs will still impact your royalties as a self-publisher. However, this would also be true for a traditional publishing house.
Complete creative control
When you work with a traditional publishing house, an entire team is available to assist you with editing, designing, and producing marketing materials for your book.
While some people might find that appealing, others might find that they must give up a part of their vision because the publishing house has the final say.
When you research self-publishing, remember that only you have control over:
- What does the cover of your book look like?
- Your book’s presentation and editing style
- What information do you want to include in the story?
Self-publishing will be a fantastic choice if you have specific requirements for how your book should sound or look. Keep your authorship of the book’s rights intact.
One of the most significant advantages of self-publishing your book is this.
A traditional publishing house will frequently give you a sizable book advance in exchange for the exclusive right to publish your book.
It makes sense, but it also means that you are no longer free to do whatever you want with the book.
Because the traditional publishing house now owns the rights to your book, you cannot take it to a retailer that the traditional publishing house disapproves of if you decide you want to make the book available there. You cannot edit anything without their permission.
Many content creators accustomed to having complete control over where and how their products are sold may struggle with selling the rights to their work, although some authors don’t mind this tradeoff.
