Published on July 25th, 2020 | by Bibhuranjan

3 Tips for Self-Publishing Your First Book

Did you know that conventional publishing houses have crashed many dreams? Not everyone can stand the kind of rejection that the Harry Potter series faced before it became successful. Some manuscripts are rejected by publishing houses on flimsy gro9unds which kills dreams of many aspiring writers. Many people cannot afford to pay for publishing and marketing fees that traditional publishers demand.

Self-publishing is the best approach for those people who want to have control over their content. However, marketing has always been a challenge for many people who opt for self-publishing. Using a marketing funnel such as those at dripdigital.com has proven fruitful for both beginners and pros in the self-publishing business as it helps bypass conventional marketing challenges. So you now want to try self-publishing, how do you get started? Here are the top tips for self-publishing

Research and plan your book

What do you want to write about? How long do you estimate that it will take to complete your book? Do you have enough resources to make this a reality? There are different types of books that you can write about. It can be a memoir, an educational book, or even a fictional book. There are various writing styles for different types of books. For instance, if you want to talk about your life, then you should create a mental picture on the minds of your readers through an approach such as storytelling. On the other hand, an educational book should cover the pain points that have been troubling people for many years.

You may decide to hire a ghostwriter or even write the book on your own. The approach that you will take will determine the final cost of self-publishing. The first step should be to read similar books and learn about the formatting guidelines and presentation of ideas. If you decide to use a ghostwriter, then you need to present the ideas you want the writer to cover. You can as well create an outline, but it is not a must.

Plan on the length of your book; you should have a rough idea of what it will take so that you do not wear out in the course of the journey. You need to plan your day or week because this exercise can be quite involving. Create realistic deadlines that will allow you to balance other areas as well. You should find your most productive period when you are crafting your writing timetable. Ensure that there are minimal distractions when you are working on your book. You can even have a getaway that will allow you to focus on the task at hand.

Get an editor

There are thousands of potential writers out there with excellent ideas, but they do not know how to present them. You may have proofread your book ten times, but an extra eye will not hurt and will ensure that you produce a masterpiece. An editor will see some of the mistakes that you may have missed during your proofreading and writing sessions. You can make your friends and family members your first editors. You can also join groups where you will get beta readers that will help you make your book better. Be ready for constructive criticism if you want to grow as a writer.

An editor will advise you on some of the areas that need improvements. There are different types of editors based on your needs. A copyeditor will check on areas such as grammar and will always highlight areas where the language does not seem right. A developmental editor will check on areas such as consistency and flow of ideas. You will be lucky if you get an editor that can handle multiple areas. There may be some sections that may need to be expanded while others may be omitted altogether. You need to be open to ideas as long they do not change the theme of your book.

Plan delivery and marketing of your book

Congratulations on creating a draft for your book and getting an editor. The hardest part is getting the book out there to the target market. There are millions of people who can benefit from your book, but the challenge is how to get to them. Being a beginner makes it hard to break through the market unless you have a clear roadmap. There are several approaches that you can use to deliver and market your book. You must decide on the format that you will use to deliver your book. You can create shareable files such as Word documents or a PDF file that people can download and read on their devices. You can also decide to have hard copies that people can add to their physical libraries. It will not hurt when you combine several formats as well.

You can create a website where readers will access your content. You need to create a responsive website and also ensure that it is secure for users. You can also create an email list as it is one of the most effective approaches to digital marketing. Create an optimized Meta description of your book as it is one of the best approaches to attract organic traffic. Ensure that you create the meta description around keywords that people search on the internet.

You can also try self-publishing platforms such as Amazon Kindle. You need to familiarize yourself with Amazon KDP guidelines to make it easy to showcase your product. You still need to market your book even after you publish the book on such a platform. You can create a website where you take people through your book and then direct them to a platform such as Amazon for purchases. Advertising your book on social media and directing people to the sales page is also very effective.

The hardest part of becoming a writer is getting started. You may feel as if you are not good enough or even do not have the zeal to market your book. Plan your outline, create the first draft, get an editor, improve your book, and then present the book to your target market. Ensure that you pay close attention to the feedback that you get as this makes you a better writer.

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Tags: book publishing, marketing

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.