Self-Publishing: Tips & Tricks

The Self-Publishing Process: Quick Tips and Tricks for the Indie Author

Hi guys,

As you know, I recently released my debut novel, Illusion. I decided to go the self-publishing route as I had an idea of how I wanted to cover and everything to look. I wanted to have more control over the choices of my book, and this is the first book I’ve ever published, so I figured I’d try the self-publishing route for the first one.

There are pros and cons to both forms of publishing (self and traditional), but if you have the time to put into doing the work yourself and decided to do self-publishing, here are some of my tips!

CreateSpace.com → It is a division of Amazon and I know many people who have successfully used this company. I myself found their support staff to be very helpful and they answered all questions I had. Additionally, I was working with a bit of a time crunch, so my project team helped me find the path with the fastest turnaround while still completing everything necessary to get a solid book printed.
ASK QUESTIONS! → It is beyond important that you know what you’re doing. I bought at least five different books on the self-publishing, publishing, and editing processes. Search the internet for blogs and websites where already published authors answer any questions you can think of. If you know someone who has gone through the process, ask them about their experience!
Make everything legit→ Don’t plagiarize or steal from other books. Make sure your cover is your own idea and does not look like another popular book.
Give credit where credit is due→ So on your copyright page or acknowledgements page thank the people who helped you get to this point. Also, if you weren’t the one to take the photo for your cover, you need to specify who did.
Edit, edit, edit, then edit again! → If it is only your eyes looking at the manuscript, take some time off and then look at it again. Chances are, you’ll catch typos or spacing issues you didn’t see the first time. However, I recommend getting your book edited or at least having a friend read through it to make sure it makes sense. Having a fresh set of eyes look at it could save you from having two chapter threes or repeating words.
Trust your gut→ This is your story! If you have a certain vibe you want to get across or an idea for the cover, keep brainstorming and working with your design team (if you are using one) until they get what you are getting at. Sometimes it takes a while, but if you have an idea of the cover and it’s not quite there yet, keep working.
If you are working with Microsoft Word, use this feature in the center of the home tab. (The orange, highlighted paragraph symbol in the upper right hand corner) → This feature saved me so much time. My interior formatting specialist at CreateSpace told me about this and it really helps with finding spacing issues or typos.


Most importantly→ You have a story to tell, so keep trying until you tell it. Your words matter and your story matters. Take your time, take a deep breath, and trust in yourself.

Happy Writing and Happy Publishing!!! Best of luck to all of you writers out there! 

~ Nadette