People make a lot of promises about self-publishing online. I’m half-convinced there’s some conspiracy going on, because the number of courses on youtube and literature blogs that swear you can make a million dollars self-publishing has skyrocketed over the past few years. Truth is, as with all forms of publishing, your mileage may vary. Speaking as an editor who’s spent eight years with a company that publishes its own textbooks, I can say without a doubt that self-publishing is like writing on hard mode. You have to commission your own cover art, hire your own editors, format your own text, pay for your own printing, and beg libraries and book stores to stock your books on their shelves. It is desperate, grueling work. So how do you do it? What’s the best way to self publish a book? What can you do right now to make your book stand out?
Network, Network, Network!
Yes, like with all industries these days, self-publishing begins and with networking. Want to get your books on shelves? Make sure you know the people who own the shelves. Spend at least half an hour every day faffing about on Twitter and looking for local literature meetups. I’m talking stuff as small as book clubs or as big as conventions. Do libraries host author meet and greets? Are there industry leaders in your area? There are hundreds of groups on LinkedIn that are open to new members. Find as many places and as many people as you can. Do this as early as you can. Don’t wait! Even with COVID, people often host Zoom meetups. Unfortunately, this is the kind of hustle you simply have to make work on your own. It’s hard, it’s boring, and it’s painful, but often you’ll find that the best way to self publish a book is to just go ahead and put yourself out there. Still, if you’ve got even a little bit of charm, you’d be surprised how many people out there are willing to help. Since this is such a massive topic, I’ll probably have to write a whole article about this.
To Print or Not To Print…
This is a huge question. Printing will be your biggest cost by far if you choose to pursue it? If you want to know the best way to self publish your book, you’ve got to address this at some point. Now, you HAVE to sell an ebook version of your book. That’s not a suggestion. The best way to self publish a book these days is to take the most obvious steps. You cannot get away without having an ebook version. Kindle will let you put just about anything on their platform, and if you’re looking for a little more exposure (but lower profits), look into Kindle Unlimited.
Aside from your ebook, though, why should you print your book? Well, a lot of hardcore readers—the kind who talk to other people about the books they’re reading—like to shop in book stores. You can’t really get your book in those stores unless it’s printed. However, that only matters if people actually buy your books in stores, and on top of that, you’ll have to spend time getting your books into stores in the first place. Self-publishing isn’t going to get you into Barnes and Noble unless you’re already selling well. Everywhere else, you’ll have to manually reach out to store owners. Hence the previous section about networking.
So you want to print? Start by finding a cover artist (you’re going to have to do this at some point regardless of whether you print or not), then move on to a printing company. I recommend Ingram Spark for printing, but there are dozens of on-demand services out there. This will easily be your biggest expense, so make sure you’re not getting a bad deal. People WILL try to scam you out of your money, so watch out for deceptive deals and too-good-to-be-true promises. Just make sure you don’t rush to print before you…
Find a Good Editor
Alright, now it’s time for the part I’m biased for. Yes, I’m aware that it’s a bit too perfect for an editor to write about how you need an editor, but—ahem—you need an editor. And if you’re self-publishing, God help you if you don’t have one. Not only is your book going to shine a lot brighter if you have one, a good editor will become one of your best literary connections. It’s a serious investment. However, at this point, you’re left with a difficult choice. Who are you going to pick?
Self promotion aside, I really recommend looking on the Editorial Freelance Association’s website, since that’s as good a place as any. Reedsy has some great editors as well, and they vet their editors well. What you shouldn’t do is go on Fiverr. I’m not even going to link it here, because you should never ever go on Fiverr or Upwork or any other sketchy freelance site for your editors. Trust me on this. It’s not worth it. Make sure to look carefully at your editors, and always be sure to make a consultation first!
*Ahem*
Marketing Your Self-Published Book
Okay, so you’ve done all that preparatory stuff. You’ve made connections, gotten your book nice and shiny and clean, you’ve found a printing company or chosen to just publish online, and you’re all ready to watch the dough flow in! Right? Wrong. Sadly, books are hardly a reliable passive income stream. You want to make it? Then you need to get out there. Host signing events at libraries and book stores. Go online and find people who can help you make ads and put them on Facebook or reddit or anywhere your target demographic goes to find recommendations. Do AMAs, go on twitter and bug the #writingcommunity about your book. There are infinite ways to market, you just have to go out and DO IT!
AS A SIDE NOTE…
Thank you for reading this post! As a side note, I’m proud to announce that this site is changing its name! It used to be NalleWriting, but since nobody can pronounce that, I’ve updated it to NoveltyEditing.com! From now on, you can expect a new blog post every Saturday! I’ll post tips and tricks, answer questions, and even review the occasional novel so you can see the best ways to improve your writing.
