11 Steps to Check Off Before Self-Publishing

Curious about striking out on your own, and tackling the world of self-publishing? Miral Sattar, CEO of NaNoWriMo sponsor BiblioCrunch, shares her 11-step checklist for self-publishing success:

Interested in self-publishing that NaNo novel you just spent all month editing? Before you begin, I’ve compiled a handy check-list that no self-published author should do without. From defining your goals, to remembering to convert your files, to making a marketing plan: this list covers it all. So go out there in the world with your book, and good luck!

Define your goals

Before you start your self-pub journey you should make a list of your goals.

Are you looking to get more readers?
Or looking to sell books? (It’s easy to get more readers if you’re a first-time author, but it’s much harder to sell books.)
Do you want just an e-book?
A print book?

Work with an editor

Once you’ve written your book, an editor is important. If your book needs a lot of work a developmental editor will evaluate and critique your manuscript, suggest and provide revisions and shape it into a smooth, workable piece.

Next, you might want to get a copy editor to catch any typos and to make sure the style is consistent.

Leverage beta readers

A beta reader will generally read your work (for free, or for a small fee) with a critical eye. A beta reader typically reads your manuscript and gives you feedback before you send it out into the world.

Work with a cover designer

It doesn’t sound fair, but most people do judge a book by a cover. They will judge how it looks on a black and white Kindle, and how it looks on an iPhone, and how it looks on thumbnail.  It’s important that your cover design catch the reader at first sight.

Before you hire a designer, check out the designer’s portfolio to make sure your vision and your designer’s vision are the same.

Come up with a good title

Your book’s title should match the content of your book. I’ve read titles where I thought it was a self-help book, but the book ended up being a thriller instead.

Pick your retailers

Do you just want to sell your book on Amazon? Do you want to publish an ebook? Or a print book?

The biggest retailers are Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, and Kobo.

The largest print on demand retailer is CreateSpace (also an Amazon company).

Get your manuscript file converted

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, Sony, Kobo allow authors to directly upload their books.

To upload to Amazon you need to convert your story to a MOBI/AWZ file.

To upload to the other retailers you need to convert your story to an EPUB file. 

Do your research on vendors

Before you choose a vendor or press, make sure you Google “[Name of Press/Vendor] Reviews” or “[Name of Press/Vendor] Bad Reviews.” That will tell you what you need to know about the press or vendor before you sign up. There are a lot of companies that take advantage of first-time authors.

Proof your book

Once you have the final digital or print version of your book, give it a thorough read to make sure it’s free of errors. If there are errors, you want to catch them pre-publication.

Consider print-on-demand

Don’t spend money on a print run if you don’t already have a distribution deal. Without a deal, you might just end up with a few hundred books sitting in your garage.

If you have already found someone to distribute your books for you, you might want to opt for a print-on-demand service like CreateSpace or Lightning Source where the book is printed and sent to the reader when they buy it. 

Have a marketing plan

It’s essential to have a marketing plan around your book. Books don’t just sell themselves. This is probably where you’ll spend a lot of time. Does your plan include giving away your book for free? Blog tours? A KDP Promotion?

As a self-published author it’s really important to do your research before making any vendor, retail, or editorial services decisions. It’s a lot of work, but thinking through all the pieces will prevent you from wasting money, time, and effort, and help you publish the best book possible.

Miral Sattar is the CEO of BiblioCrunch, an award-winning author services marketplace that matches authors with quality book publishing professionals. She has worked in the media industry for 11 years, and her writing has been featured in PBSMediaShift, TIME, CNN, and the NY Daily News. Miral wrote her first NaNoWriMo novel in 2012 and loved it. Follow her on Twitter @miralsattar.

Top photo by Flickr user cathredfern.