Have you written a book but don’t know where to begin when it comes to publishing? Self-publishing can be an excellent option for authors seeking to retain control over their work. It’s cost-effective, efficient, and puts you in charge of the entire publishing process.
The benefits of self-publishing
Self-publishing allows authors to be as hands-on or off as possible during the production process. You can decide how quickly you’d like your book released and have direct control over editing, cover design, pricing, marketing plan, and distribution.
Additionally, you’ll keep a higher percentage of the profits generated from sales since you won’t have to split them with a publisher. Let’s take a look at the advantages of self-publishing in more detail:
Timeframe
The most significant advantage of self-publishing is that it allows you to get your book into readers’ hands much faster than traditional publishing. Once you have completed your manuscript, you can start formatting and uploading your book, which is generally much faster than the traditional publishing path.
You also won’t have to wait for months while your book goes through the traditional editing process—you can start marketing and promoting your book as soon as it is available online.
Revenue
When you self-publish, you keep most of the profits from your book sales. While traditional publishers typically take 50% or more of profits, self-published authors save 70%-90% of their royalties.
It will also allow you to avoid royalties or fees associated with traditional publishing contracts. If you’re looking for ways to maximize your earnings, self-publishing is worth considering.
Control
When you self-publish, you get complete control over every aspect of the production process—from the cover design to pricing decisions. You also control how and when your books are released, so if something isn’t quite right with one version, you can make changes and upload an updated version quickly and easily.
And because all versions are released digitally, there’s no need for costly print runs or storage space in case something doesn’t go according to plan.
How to self-publish?
Writing a book is no small task, but it can be gratifying. Unfortunately, finding the right publisher and getting published can be long and arduous. Luckily, self-publishing has become increasingly popular in recent years, making it easier for authors to get their books out into the world. Let’s take a look at all the steps you need to take to self-publish your book.
Have a Designated Workspace
Writing a book means you need a designated workspace. It should be comfortable, distraction-free, and provide you with plenty of inspiration. Whether it’s a home office or simply a corner of the living room, make sure your space is set up to help you focus on writing. Invest in great furniture items, such as classy executive office chairs, to stay comfortable while you work. These chairs are designed for long hours of sitting, making them ideal for authors who are hard at work.
Creating the Book
The first step in self-publishing is creating your book. This involves writing or editing your manuscript to be ready for publication. If you need help with editing or proofreading, consider hiring an editor or working with a professional book service like Metric Marketing. They can provide valuable feedback on your work and help ensure that your book is polished and ready for readers.
Designing the Cover
After you’ve finalized your manuscript, you’ll need to design a cover for your book. You can hire a designer to create one for you or use sites like Canva or Adobe Spark to design one yourself. Whichever route you choose, make sure that your cover stands out from the crowd and accurately conveys the tone of your work.
Uploading Your Book
Once you have everything ready—manuscript and cover—it’s time to upload your book onto platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). KDP makes it easy for authors to publish their works without worrying about formatting or distribution issues. All you need to do is upload your file and fill out some basic information about yourself as an author. From there, KDP will take care of promoting and distributing your book so that it reaches its intended audience.
The bottom line
Self-publishing has come a long way in recent years, making it easy and accessible for anyone with a dream of getting their work into readers’ hands. Whether looking for faster turnaround time or more control over royalties and cover design decisions, self-publishing could be the perfect solution for getting your book out into the world. So if you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge into self-publishing, now might just be a perfect time!
