Have you ever dreamed of being a published author?
Self-publishing a book can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a quick 10-step guide through the process of writing and self-publishing a book.
Step 1: Research: Who will buy your book? Who is it for? What are your publishing goals? Who do you need to help you get it written and made ready for publication?
Step 2: Outline your book, chapter by chapter.
Step 3: Draft your book – try not to edit as you write, that’s what step 4 is about! It doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s a draft.
Step 4: Revise your book.
Step 5: Get your book professionally edited.
Step 6: Get your own block of ISBNs. International Standard Book Numbers are the identifiers for each edition of a published book. If you are self-publishing, keep control of your book by having your own numbers. A block of ISBNs assigned to you is included in the Biz Book Foundry packages.
Step 7: Get a professional cover design and page layout.
Step 8: Get your book proofread and corrected. (There will be corrections no matter how many times you have read and reread your book!)
Step 9: Set up the accounts you need with your chosen printers/distributors and upload your print-ready and/or ebook files. Printing/distribution companies include (but are not limited to):
- Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon)
- IngramSpark
- Draft to Digital
- Smashwords
- Apple Books
- Google Play Books.
Some ‘traditional’ printers also now offer print-on-demand services for independent authors. It’s worth checking out CPI, Clays, and TJ Books in the UK.
Step 10: Market and sell your book. Marketing actually starts at step 1 but you can really start shouting about it when you’ve got your front cover design finalised.
Self-publishing a book can seem like a daunting prospect when you realise there is so much involved beyond the actual writing. It takes an average of seven different skill sets to publish a book and, with the best will in the world, no one person can do them all well.
It’s why we set up The Biz Book Foundry to help independent authors through the whole process. We’ll guide you every step of the way to getting your book written, produced and published.
Contact us today to take that first step.