First time publishing: A Few things I learned – Guest Post by Steve LaNore @stevelanore
It’s nearly a year since I launched my first e-book in June 2012 and seven months into the paperback release. Sales haven’t exactly put me on the best seller list, but the consensus is 600 units are decent for an unknown “indie” author. Of course, I had the delusion of selling 500 in the first month. I can laugh at that now because I long ago cashed that reality check.
Here’s what I have learned, mostly through trial and error. It’s my hope that sharing these thoughts might save you some time and goofs. So your book is finished. Now what?
You will need to purchase an ISBN which is essentially a book identification number. All books must have one to be listed in the nationwide (and international) computer database. Some vendors like Amazon will “give” you one for a Kindle eBook and that’s probably OK but you will want to get your own for printed versions and for non-Amazon eBooks like B&N or Apple. Bowker.com is really the only place to get them.
Use a professional editor to proof the text for grammar, logic, and readability. Independent authors have a sometimes-deserved bad reputation when they try to do everything by themselves. Even if you have a major in English, pay someone else to get you out of the loop for editing. It’s very difficult to be objective with your own work. There are lots of free-lance editors; just Google them or check Craigslist. Ask for two fairly recent references and/or examples of their work.
I would recommend having the cover professionally created. If you’re doing an eBook first (a less expensive option, and ideal for text-only books), ask the artist to produce one at 300 dpi so it can double as a printable marketing tool. The cover is all the customer initially sees when browsing Amazon, B&N or whomever, so you’ve got to make it count. Naturally, if you are an artist with a good knowledge of Photoshop (or similar) you can skip this step! Print books need a full front-and-back cover that is created as one file, but the front should look the same for the two versions. I used the same artist for both. This saved her time and my money, and it makes the most sense for style’s sake too.
You can lay out the eBook (known as “eBook conversion”) in Microsoft Word but it can be tedious! If you choose to go the DIY route, Amazon has the basic instructions on their website. Barnes & Noble has an on-editor to build a Nook eBook but it’s not very user friendly from what I’ve seen. If you pay for the layout (which I recommend) ask them to create both a Kindle version and an ePub version. Most non-Amazon eBooks are formatted in ePub. This process should cost $200-$300 including them uploading it to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple store for you. You will have to create accounts on each one before your first book is uploaded. Apple can be slow so set up your accounts a few days ahead of time. My book would not fit within their size requirement but oh well.
A printed book layout can be done reasonably if you shop around, especially if your book is text only. Your manuscript does not have to be completely re-typed, just re-formatted. Of course, you can opt to invest more time and do it yourself. I paid for a layout and they used Adobe InDesign which is an expensive program that I didn’t have to buy. I’m not sure how easy doing a book on Microsoft Word would be; I’m afraid my knowledge dead-ends right here on that.
ASK lots of questions. I cannot share all of the nuances I learned over the past year here; I would need to just write another book (Hey! There’s an idea!), and I’m surely far short of “expert” in this field in any case. In essence, ask, ask, and ask. Use somebody who’s worked on other book projects for your art, editing and layout work. I found my choices were happy to share their insight during my project. Noobs hiring noobs is not the path for best success.
Please, watch out for online design or editing companies that seem “too” cheap. Some of them are offshore or a “word factory” and you get what you pay for. I had to pick through a few of these before I decided they weren’t for me. Smaller companies with personal service will cost more but for first-timers you might need that level of contact. It certainly helped me. I probably drove Teri Kojetin, the eBook editor, crazy with my version of 20 questions! Debbie O’Byrne, who did the artwork and paperback layout, got a similar dose of my noob-ism. They were both patient and very helpful!
I doubt you’ll get that level of care from a large, impersonal company. This is just my experience and you might find different solutions that work for you.
I wound up dropping several grand on the entire project but about half of that was because of the artwork needed for my children’s book. You should be able to get a text-only project in both print and eBook formats done turn-key for about a thousand dollars. This may vary depending on where you live and how many words are in the book – it’s just a ballpark figure.
So in essence let me encourage you to invest in a quality product. After all, it’s YOUR NAME on the work, and your heart in it, right?
Now – the tough part. You may say “good grief”, all of the above sounds rather challenging. It’s really not so bad; you just have to get organized, have the money, ask lots of questions, and do everything in the proper order. The tough part is selling it. Well more on that the next time I post.
Take Care,
Steve LaNore / Author “Weather Wits and Science Snickers”
About the Author:Steve LaNore is KXII’s Chief Meteorologist in Sherman, Texas, just north of Dallas. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has been a TV meteorologist for more than 25 years.
His children’s science book “Weather Wits and Science Snickers” was recently honored with a Mom’s Choice Award, and won first place in a Texas statewide communications contest (2012) held by the Press Women of Texas. It is available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle form, and on teacherspayteachers.com in .pdf format.
In broadcasting, Steve has received “Best Weathercast” awards five times in his career; three times from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB) and twice from the Associated Press.
Steve’s varied interests include music, writing, travel, history, philosophy, and weather/science of course..and even a good game of poker now and then.
Your Social Media Links
http://www.facebook.com/weatherwits
http://www.twitter.com/stevelanore
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