2 Steps to Get you Started
Today we’re going to talk about self-publishing your book. If you’re following my step by step posts, you may be thinking, “Isn’t it a bit early for that?” No, certainly not.
There are quite a few steps and things to learn before you’re ready to self-publish. There are some things you can work on and learn, WHILE you’re writing your book, and….
None of it costs a thing! Woo hoo!
For those of you looking to go the traditional publishing route, I don’t have experience that way. I have no interest in possible rejections, forking out money, and waiting a year or more if I’m lucky, to see my book in print.
I honestly don’t care if I see a million copies. I write books because I absolutely love writing books. Self-publishing is free, relatively easy, and reward enough for me. That’s not to say that you can’t be successful and make money. In another post we’ll talk about ways to market a self-published book.
2 Steps You Can Take Now
It’s never too early to prepare
Step #1- Editing:
- First, edit your work yourself, the best you can, then read it out loud. You’ll pick up errors so much easier that way. Trust me.
- Install a program like Grammarly. Their free version is pretty good. It will alert you to obvious errors in grammar, punctuation, bad sentence structure, and more. It’s a great tool.
- You can hire a professional editor, but it’s not cheap. Consider asking around your circle of people. I have a client (I’m a Neuromuscular Massage Therapist) who has an English degree with editing experience. She loves doing it and wants to do it for free. I’m going to acknowledge her in my book.
- Ask around. You may have to turn down a few to find someone who works well with you, but you’d be surprised what you’ll find locally if you look.
Helpful Hint
Make sure whoever does the editing doesn’t try to change your story. It’s not their job to tell you what they think should happen. Just because they’d write it differently, doesn’t mean yours is wrong. Tell them- grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, plot holes, and tense mistakes only.
Step #2- Kindle Direct Publishing
There are other platforms out there. In fact, I published my first book on lulu.com. It’s a good platform and I chose it because an author friend uses them.
However, I’ve since learned that they take a much larger percentage of each sale and they’re virtually unknown. If people are going to browse online for a new book to purchase, they’re most likely going to Barnes and Noble or Amazon. It’s much easier to self-publish on KDP (Amazon) than B&N. And, you keep much more of the profit.
My Suggestion
Go online now and search for Kindle Direct Publishing and watch their, “Getting Started with KDP” video.
Then, look around the site. They tell you everything you need to know about publishing your manuscript. IT’S ALL FREE! If you type in kdp jumpstart, there’s a ton of information on how to publish.
I think that’s enough to get you started. The more you know, the easier it will be.
Just for Fun
Go to Pixabay.com and sign up. It’s totally free. They have thousands of FREE stock photos you can download. Have a little fun. Go find yourself an awesome picture for your book cover. That’s my favorite part. Until next time…
Happy Writing!
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