What I’ve Learned My First Time Self Publishing

When I first began my self-publishing journey, I was scared witless. There are a lot of platitudes that absolutely turned out to be accurate, like, It doesn’t have to be perfect or Try and try again. Overall, I was left to figure out the nuts and bolts by myself, which is why I will lay out some of the most essential advice I wish I had received. This is advice about the publishing process after the writing is done.

1. If you are not a graphic artist specializing in covers, find a cover artist.
2.  Find and use beta readers before you have an editor take a look. You can find beta readers on sites like Booksprout and Storyorigin. Beta readers can help you with many of your book’s kinks, so you don’t have to spend as much on a professional editor.
3.  That being said, use a professional editor. You can find editors on sites like Upwork and fiverr. Make sure you have them do a trial page or chapter to edit first and look into any references they may have. Beware of people charging way too little.

4. Tell Everyone!!! At first, it can be very uncomfortable to talk about your book. I’ve had a lot of imposter syndrome around doing this. But if the people you see all the time don’t know about your book, how will you tell anyone else?
5. Use formatting software or format your ebook and physical book professionally. It is pretty easy to format an ebook independently, but it is challenging to do physical book formatting. I found using software far more straightforward for the cost. I use Atticus.
6. Write a great synopsis. This and the cover are the two things that typically make or break whether or not someone will buy your book. Have your editor assist you with this.

7. Build your email list. Be sure to put a page in your book that directs your readers to all of your social media presences, of course, and your email list. Preferably you’ve begun building this list pre-publishing, but if not, there’s no better time than the present. Get your first readers signed up, so they never miss an update or a sale!
8. ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy, one of the most essential things about launching a book. Your ARC readers are the last to read your book before publishing. ARCs are post-editing. They get you reviews before launch day. You can find them on the same sites as beta readers.
9. Presales! Ebooks can be listed for sale before the launch date so that you can get a significant number of sales before the book is live. Just remember to upload your finished book before the due date!
10. Giveaways! If you’re a first-time author, an excellent way to get your book into as many hands as possible is to give it away for free. It may yield less in the short term, but you’ll get more exposure in the long run.