The world of self-publishing offers writers the opportunity to get their books into the marketplace without the constraints of traditional publishing. Whether you are an author with a few manuscripts or a first-time author just starting, self-publishing gives you creative control. It allows you to keep a larger share of your profits. When I started down this path, it felt overwhelming and like something I could not do alone. After countless hours of research, picking other self-published authors' brains, fact-checking, and myth-busting, I overcame the barriers. I worked through the process to get my book into the marketplace.
This guide shares valuable tips, lessons learned, and insights to help you succeed in the ever-evolving world of self-publishing. Get ready to start your journey through the process, from writing to self-publishing to marketing, to make your dream of publishing a book a reality! Here’s a quick overview of the self-publishing process to get you started, save this for reference!
Debunking Myths: What Self-Publishing Means for Authors
Self-publishing is the process of independently publishing your book without the involvement of a traditional publishing house. Traditional publishers, such as the Big Five, require authors to have an agent to pitch their manuscripts, let alone publish them through one of their publishing houses. If they accept your work, they oversee the editing, design, marketing, distribution, royalties, and any associated sub-rights that may come into play if they sell any rights to other parties. Being self-published allows you to have creative control of the entire process and retain more of the profits from your work. In the past, the route to publishing was challenging to enter. Now, thanks to the availability of different self-publishing platforms such as IngramSpark and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), authors have accessible options to publish their works. As someone who appreciates processes and loves understanding how things work, the publishing world intrigued me when I started my writing journey. I needed to understand the difference between self and traditional publishing. Traditional publishing has a lengthy process for submitting work, which does not mean it will be accepted. If the work is accepted, you will enter into a publishing contract that will dictate how YOUR work gets presented to the world. Additionally, you can kiss your creative control goodbye. While you may receive an advance for your work and may have some input, the publisher will pick a title and cover design for your book along with a marketing strategy. Your royalty percentage will be much lower, around 10-15%, since the publisher covers the costs of book production, distribution, and marketing.
Self-publishing is very much about putting the author in control of the process! You get to decide what to title your book, how it looks and feels, and what content you want to present to the readers. There is a cost to maintaining creative control, and if you plan and pace yourself, it is manageable. In a traditional publishing setting, the publishing firm pays the costs. Do not let the potential costs scare you because while you bear the costs for editing, book design, and marketing, you also keep a much larger share, around 35-70%, of your royalties. Amazon KDP has a printing costs and royalty calculator that can help you estimate your baseline costs. Check out the images below to see what information you need to enter and what the estimated results are. With proper planning, you can cover these costs at your own pace and produce the work you want the world to experience.
People often ask what the advantage of self-publishing is when a traditional publisher will do the heavy lifting for you (if they accept your work). There are many advantages to self-publishing, and one of the most important is maintaining creative control and having complete autonomy over every aspect of your book. My first manuscript was like my baby, and I could not imagine someone else naming my baby; I want to have the same ability regarding the works I produce. Book cover design is another area where creative control is essential. At the same time, I am not an artist by any means; working with others who can bring your vision to life and incorporate all your creative thoughts matters. You should have a say over what your cover looks like and ensure that it reflects what you want your readers to receive.
Another benefit is the time it takes to get your work into the marketplace. Traditional publishing is a lengthy process that can take years. Yet, self-publishing can happen as soon as your manuscript is ready. It does not mean that you should overlook obtaining the same quality of editing and design or skip any parts of the process; it just means that you can reach the market sooner rather than later. Utilizing self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP and others allows you to obtain a higher royalty of up to 70%, which makes all the hard work worth it. These platforms also help instantly make your book available to audiences worldwide.
While the world of self-publishing is growing rapidly, it is still a very misunderstood space for authors. The assumption that self-published books are of lesser quality may have been valid early on because professional editors and book designers were inaccessible to authors. Today, there are many professionals within the marketplace for authors to work with, leading to many self-published works that rival traditionally published ones.
Another myth is that only authors who cannot secure a traditional publishing deal are the ones who are self-publishing. This could not be further from the truth! Many authors are choosing to self-publish their works to maintain creative control and higher financial return on their work, which is a great benefit. The blend of opportunity, both creative and financial, as well as understanding the advantages, makes self-publishing a powerful option for today's authors.
The Secret to a Polished Manuscript: Tips for Authors
Starting down the path of writing a book is exciting and overwhelming; it took me five years to get my first two books out to the world. I had a very heavy start-stop relationship with my writing. I worked diligently when I was inspired and excited. When I hit the wall with writer's block, I stopped working on it altogether, which I do not recommend doing! Before you become a keyboard warrior and fill the blank pages with words, I highly recommend creating an outline to organize what you have in your head (remember, I'm the process queen here!) and break the writing process down into manageable chunks that work for you. Setting SMART goals or just simple, realistic goals is helpful. Some writers dedicate themselves to writing 600 words daily; I like to dedicate a minimum of an hour to writing. Sometimes, the hour turns into hours, but dedication is what matters in maintaining forward progress with your writing.
Writer's block is real and sometimes can be hard to overcome. My first bout of writer's block was severe and stopped me because I could not understand how to get around it. I would pick different hours within the day to try to write, and nothing would come. I could not even look at my laptop because the frustration and lack of words stunned me. After a while, I decided that a change of scenery and a change of writing utensils may do me good. I went from writing in my dedicated spaces at home to grabbing a pen and pad and heading to cafes, parks, and beaches to sit and write. Freewriting for 10-15 minutes and brainstorming on my pad helped get the creative juices flowing and remove the block. The most important thing to note is that you must keep writing imperfectly! You can mold your masterpiece once you get down on the page.
The Importance of Professional Editing and How to Find a Good Editor
Completing your manuscript draft is the first of many exciting milestones in self-publishing. Once you have completed your draft, the next thing to focus on is editing it to have a well-polished manuscript. As an avid reader, there is nothing worse than getting into a story and being distracted by inconsistencies with wording or grammar errors. As an author, you want your readers to be immersed in the content and not thrown off by it. The first place to start is by doing your editing. Read through your manuscript and look for any significant issues. You can use tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid to clean up the initial round.
Once you have done the basic level of self-editing, it is time to call in the professional editor; this is a non-negotiable for self-publishing and separates your work from those without. Understand that not all editing is the same; just like there are different genres of literature, there are various types of editing. When I wrote my book, I dove deep into researching the correct editing for my needs. I learned SO much about editing from my research and found that you can have the following types of editing done for your book:
◦ Proofreader/Mechanical Editor: Looking for formatting issues and typos before your manuscript goes into publication.
◦ Copy Editor: Checks for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, incorrect punctuation, formatting consistency, and adherence to the style guide for the book.
◦ Line Editor: Addresses awkward phrasing, word choices, and inconsistent tones in the individual sentences and paragraphs. They ensure clarity in your writing, proper style, and readability.
◦ Developmental Editor: Focuses on the plot structure, character development, and overall theme of the book. They make suggestions that can be significant revisions to the book's narrative and readjust the theme if needed.
Hiring an editor is very much like any other service; you must do your research. When the time came for me to find an editor, I checked on several online writing communities to see who people were recommending and also checked on some freelance platforms like Reedsy. However you find your editor, you will always want to request a sample edit, check at least three references, and ensure that their style aligns with your vision for your work. Since my book was about what others had to say, I used a lot of directly quoted material, so I did not need a copy, line, or developmental editing. Mechanical editing was required for my project, and my editor primarily focused on looking for surface-level errors like typos, grammatical errors, punctuation, and inconsistencies in the formatting of my content.
Formatting Your Book for Print and Digital Publication
Proper formatting is of the utmost importance for both print and digital books. Print books require specific margins, consistent page numbering, headings, and text alignment. If one thing is out of place, your manuscript will get rejected for not being able to be loaded. It is a frustrating process to work through if you do not know what the proper format is supposed to be. Luckily, there are tools in the marketplace like Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word that can help with this, but this is another area where hiring a professional saves you the time and the aggravation in trying to get the format just right.
E-book formatting requires that your table of contents be clickable and that your text flows as the reader scrolls. Tools like Vellum or Scrivener can help you convert your manuscript into the ePub and MOBI formats to ensure a seamless experience for your readers.
Find Your Perfect Match: A Comparison of Self-Publishing Platforms
The publishing world has been revolutionized by self-publishing platforms providing authors with access to tools to bring their books into the marketplace. While there is a vast array of platforms to choose from, I will highlight three significant platforms available.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, also called Amazon KDP, is one of the most widely used self-publishing platforms. You can use KDP to publish both print and eBooks and tap into Amazon's global marketplace, which allows you to reach millions of readers. The KDP interface is very user-friendly, and your royalty options can go up to 70%, which makes it a go-to platform for authors.
Smashwords is an excellent platform if you are looking to get your book published and distributed in eBooks. Their formatting options are flexible, and there are no upfront costs. It is a great platform option to get your book in with various retailers like Kobo and Barnes & Noble.
IngramSpark is another platform where you can do both print and eBooks, and they are well known for their connectivity with retailers and libraries worldwide. Their reach expands past what KDP provides and is an excellent option for authors looking to cast a broader net in the marketplace.
Many authors choose to start with one or the other, but I recommend trying a hybrid approach, like beginning with KDP and adding Smashwords or IngramSpark to extend your reach in the marketplace. I have provided the table below as a quick cheat sheet of the pros and cons and what each platform is best utilized for by authors.
Platform | Pros | Cons | Best For |
Amazon KDP | Wide reach, user-friendly interface, high royalties, no upfront costs | Limited non-Amazon distribution, exclusivity for Kindle Unlimited (optional) | Authors focused on Amazon’s vast audience and straightforward publishing tools. Ideal for eBooks and paperbacks. |
Smashwords | Broad digital distribution, free tools, supports multiple formats | Limited marketing tools, formatting can be complex | Authors seeking wide eBook distribution across multiple retailers. Best for eBooks only. |
IngramSpark | Professional print quality, broad distribution, access to libraries | Upfront costs, less intuitive for beginners | Authors prioritizing professional-quality print books and access to libraries and non-Amazon retailers. |
Judge a Book by Its Cover: Why Design Matters More Than You Think
A book's cover matters. Sometimes, the most simplistic cover contains an impactful and moving story inside; sometimes, the most extravagant covers have some not-so-great content behind them. Your book cover is your first and only chance to make a great impression on potential readers. Professionally designed covers are attention grabbers and should help convey the book's tone and the genre at first glance. The cover should become a marketing tool that helps drive and boost sales, inspire trust, and spark intrigue.
Find a skilled designer who works in the same ways as the other services to get your self-published masterpiece created. Talk to other self-published authors with covers you like and see who they used. You can search on platforms like Upwork and others to browse portfolios and compare prices. Always review their work and conduct reference checks to ensure they are open to your creative ideas and that their style aligns with yours.
Once your cover and manuscript are complete, you must ensure you have your manuscript formatted per the requirements of the self-publishing platforms you use. Different styles of books, paperback, hardcover, and eBook, all require a little bit of a different setup. Make sure that you or your book designer can adjust the manuscript and cover to fit the requirements of the self-publishing platform you are using.
Mastering Book Pricing and Marketing: Strategies to Boost Your Sales
Solid pricing and marketing of your book are essential for attracting readers, getting good visibility, and maximizing your sales. When it comes to pricing your book, I recommend looking at other similar books in genre and size, seeing what they are priced at, and determining what a reasonable price point will be from there. You can price your book at whatever you would like, but it is important not to price yourself out of the market. When pricing your print book, consider all costs for producing the final copy to ensure you make something for each book. You do not want to find that you are in the red after printing and selling your book for too little. For eBooks, the sweet spot is between $2.99 and $9.99, and you'll sometimes see introductory pricing of discounts for new releases starting at $0.99 to get early sales and boost the book rankings. Word to the wise: You must figure out your pricing before assigning your ISBNs because you must add the pricing to get your book ISBN barcode.
Once you have figured out your pricing, the next thing to focus on is how you are building awareness and creating demand for your book. Social media is the first place to start and connect with the audience you already have through Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Share engaging content, like book excerpts, launch countdowns, and behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process. You can utilize Facebook ads or Amazon Ads through their platforms to help increase your book's visibility. Book reviews are also another great way to market your book. Reach out to book bloggers, online influencers, and any early readers for their honest feedback and endorsements of your book.
Another marketing method is creating an online author platform for connecting with readers. You should set up a professional author website with information about you and the author, links to your books, and even a blog to showcase your writing expertise. Connect your webpage to your social media platforms, and then start building an email list by offering exclusive content, updates, or sneak peeks at new work coming soon. Your email list will allow you to communicate directly with your readers and nurture your relationship with them while driving up your sales and maintaining a loyal audience. Marketing is an ongoing and ever-evolving process, and there are lots of professionals out there who can help you if you are not savvy in this area as well. With thoughtful and careful planning and consistent marketing of your book, you can build a reader base in no time!
Get Your Book Everywhere: The Ins and Outs of Distribution
Getting your books into readers' hands takes persistence, creativity, and a good strategy. The first and most accessible distribution mode is through the online self-publishing platform. Amazon KDP allows authors to reach millions of readers through eBook options and by printing on demand. For those looking to get into bookstores and libraries, IngramSpark is a great platform to do this while utilizing Smashwords, which is excellent for distributing your eBook across multiple online stores.
Another way of distributing your book is through direct selling to readers in various ways. One of my favorite avenues is attending author events throughout my community, within and in different states. Travel costs are associated with travel, so you must consider the cost of attending an event. However, book fairs, workshops, and author readings are all great opportunities. Author events allow you to interact with readers directly and talk about your work. Partnering with community organizations is another great way to build relationships and get your name and brand out there.
Contracts, Royalties, and Taxes: Navigating the Legal Side of Publishing
There is so much to be excited about when it comes to self-publishing and seeing the progress of your book. Still, one area that you should not overlook is the legalities associated with putting your work into the marketplace. You want to focus on ISBNs, contracts, copyrights, royalties, and taxes.
Once your manuscript is typed onto paper or saved digitally, it is considered a fixed and tangible item. With that, you automatically own its copyright. Copyright gives you exclusive rights to your work and helps to safeguard it against unauthorized use. You can take additional steps to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, which will give you additional protection if you need to enforce your rights. This area is worth chatting with an intellectual property attorney to ensure you understand what you protect and your rights.
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and is a unique identifier on the back of any book you purchase from bookstores. If you plan to sell your book online or physically, you will want to have an ISBN associated with your book. There are two ways that I know of to obtain an ISBN. The first (and what I recommend doing) is purchasing your ISBNs through Bowker. This is preferred so that you can retain all the rights to your book's publishing identity. AmazonKDP provides free ISBNs to those looking to publish on their platform. While free is great, it will list Amazon as your publisher and limit your control over your book's placement. When I looked into the ISBNs with Bowker, there is a cost associated and a word to the wise; you will need a different ISBN for each book format. If you publish your book in hardcover, paperback, and eBook format, you will need three different ISBNs.
Working through the self-publishing process requires that each outside party providing a service to you (editor, book designer, etc.) should be working under contract. Having clear agreements in place should protect both you and the other party. At a minimum, you must spell out each person's rights, deliverables, payment amount, and when payment is due.
When reviewing the contracts for your share of book sales, which are the royalties, you want to ensure you understand the royalty structures to maximize earnings. Royalties are taxable since they are a form of income, so you must keep track of your earnings and expenses. Claiming the deductions on your business expenses will help to lower your tax burden from your book royalties. Amazon KDP and other platforms will issue a 1099, which would get filed with your taxes. If you sell your books internationally, you must also become familiar with value-added tax (VAT) regulations.
Considering these legalities is vital to protecting your work, understanding how you earn money, and managing your responsibilities as a self-published author.
Your Self-Publishing Journey Awaits
Writing a book is an exciting and rewarding achievement! Being empowered to publish your book is equally a thrilling journey, and self-publishing empowers you to control every aspect of the process. From writing and formatting to marketing and selling, this guide provides the roadmap to achieve your goals. Don't let the challenges deter you; embrace the possibilities and share your story with the world. Take the first step today and start your self-publishing journey with confidence!
If you are ready to self-publish your book, start by outlining your manuscript, researching self-publishing platforms, and connecting with the writing community for support. If you have any questions or need some assistance, reach out. Best of luck as you dive in and make your dream a reality in 2025!
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