Writing is a passion for a lot of people, but trying to get your book published traditionally can be tough. With publishers getting so many submissions, it can take a lot of time for your work to get seen, or it might get lost altogether. You might also struggle to find a publisher who is willing to take a chance on your book if you are an unknown author or find a suitable deal. This is why self-publishing your work can be beneficial, as you get to keep all of the money made from each sale without having to worry about a publisher or agent taking a cut. However, this route does take a lot of work on your part, so if you are interested in self-publishing, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Have Your Work Proofread
You should do this whether you are planning to self-publish or submit your work to a publishing house. If you want your book to be taken seriously, you need to show that your standards are professional, so any grammatical or spelling errors need to be weeded out before putting your work into print or uploading a digital copy for eBooks. You can proofread it yourself, but it is better to get fresh eyes on your work for this task. You can hire a freelance proofreader or ask a trusted friend who is good with grammar to do this for you.
Find the Right Platform
There are many different platforms that you can use to self-publish your book, Amazon’s KDP self-publishing service might be one of the first that comes to mind. However, shop around first to make sure that you’re getting the best rates and that you are happy with the quality of the books being published. Blurb is another great place to self-publish your book and can offer a variety of formats for you to choose from, as well as letting you sell your book in their bookstore.
Marketing
Self-publishing your book on Blurb, Amazon, or any other platform isn’t enough to get your book noticed and make sales. You need to come up with a clever marketing plan to make sure people are aware that your book is available and that it’s worth reading. Utilize social media and look at using sponsored ads to promote your book, as this is an affordable way to reach your audience. You should also reach out to reviewers who might be interested in doing a review for your book and be active in groups that are relevant to your title, such as book club pages on Facebook, author groups, etc.
Build Your Profile as an Author
Shouting out about your book is one thing, but you need to make sure that you’re building your profile as an author, too. Having a website dedicated to your work is a good idea, and you can even incorporate a monthly newsletter to share news with your followers about upcoming titles you plan to publish or general updates on your work. Getting involved with author events and connecting with other self-published authors to help boost their profiles will also work in your favor.
Self-publishing a book can be a very exciting experience, but if you want to make your book as successful as possible, you need to make sure you are doing all of the above.