Self-Publishing Step-by-Step (3) – aka, How DO you do that?
I think, when I first started asking myself this question, was when I realized I was growing up. “How DO you figure out who to call when your basement window might be leaking?” (the person who inspired this question is laughing right now), “How DO you get stone to complete your patio that will match the rest of the stone you liberated from your neighbour’s house before it was demolished?” (the upside of infill housing) and, “How DO you do all the things you need to do to self-publish a book?”
It’s a good question – how do you find an editor? How do you pull a cover together? How do you make your book pretty? How do you do all those millions of little things nobody ever teaches you in school?
Well, my answer is, you do something like this:
(1) Google
(2) Ask other people
(3) Google – more specifically this time
(4) Trial and error
(5) Continue honing in your Google searches
Really, there is no hard and fast answer – things are different depending what you’re going after. For example, for OIM, I decided to have a trailer. However, I couldn’t afford, and didn’t have the vision, to have a really complex trailer. So I watched lots of other trailers and settled on still images, nice music, text, etc. This meant I had to find images and music, write text, and find somebody to put it all together for me.
These requirements were very different than if I wanted a more complicated trailer with video and, possibly, actors. Or, if I wanted animation. Either of these types of trailers would require different components, and I would have had to figure out how to source them.
So, first figure out (as best you can) what you need.
Then, start looking for it.
Still using the trailer as an example, a friend recommended Triple Scoop Music for royalty-free music. I looked around a bit for images, and found iStock. Another friend told me she likes using them, too.
From there, it was really just trial and error. Figuring out the best way to use both of the above services. Emailing them questions to clarify licensing parameters. Shopping for music and photos!
Both were amazing to work with, both gave me exactly what I wanted (for an affordable fee), and both answered emailed questions lightning-fast.
I just use these two as an example of what I’ve found throughout my self-publishing journey – people are nice! and helpful! and professional! They answer your questions. If they aren’t helpful, or professional, or polite, you don’t have to use them! It’s your money – these are your decisions. That’s the beauty of self-publishing.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, you don’t have to be an expert to get started – you just have to get started.
And, of course, you can always feel free to ask me – if I know, I’ll help you. If I don’t, I’ll email you in six months and ask you how you did it!
