I know I’ve said this before, but I think it’s worth repeating. Whether you reject traditional publishers or traditional publishers have rejected you, if you intend to self-publish, your book must be able to compete with works released by traditional publishers.
And there’s only one way to do it—think like a publisher. Whether you depend on food stamps or a trust fund, self-publication deserves a professional plan and skills that often surprise writers. In this article, we’re going to review seven steps to publication and the many questions that should haunt the self-publishing author.
First, draft a decent manuscript—fiction or non-fiction. Having read a number of manuscripts my clients were determined to self-publish, I was often impressed by the overall story but disappointed by the lack of structure. Why is the second chapter where it is? Why do I feel as if the story line is undermined on page eighty? Contrary to what too many would-be authors believe, no word or thesis is too precious to remove or revise.
A writer may wince at the thought of reorganizing his literary offspring, but a good developmental editor or ghostwriter is incapable of guilt. Be honest. You are your own worst enemy when it comes to judging your own work. Be humble. Even if you’re a good writer, it isn’t enough.
Great writers have great editors. Seek input from those with professional editorial experience. That does not mean you have to agree with every criticism, but it does mean there is a good reason to give those criticisms serious consideration. If you can’t afford professional help, join a reputable writers’ group or take some writing and editing courses at a local college where the professor may give you some additional time.
Second, do your sentences and the words in them express your intent? This is the job of a copyeditor—to choose the right words. A copyeditor may also act as a proofreader and correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling, the stuff your high school English teacher covered when you were absent. Copyeditors and proofreaders will prune and groom the manuscript page by page, paragraph by paragraph and line by line, hopefully making your book as readable as any published by a traditional publisher. And it’s as important in fiction as non-fiction.
Third, what does the title tell the reader about the contents? If you can summarize your book or subject matter in no more than two sentences and target the right audience, you should be able to find a good title and subtitle. Are there any keywords that best summarize the contents? Look at titles of successful books in your genre. How do their titles arouse curiosity? Is there an advantage in using a subtitle? Again, look at successful titles that preceded yours.
Fourth, the cover should visually support the title whether it’s based on a photo, illustration or graphic. You may want to use a picture you’ve seen in a blog or a famous painting. Can you obtain permission? Or do you engage an artist to create an original work? Again, perusing bookshelves or publisher websites may both give you ideas about how you want the cover to look and the names of some cover artists.
Fifth is formatting. Imagine the title page, the font, the table of contents, and the first page of every chapter. How do you want the table of contents to look? What are your choices of font? What about your copyright page—should it include a disclaimer? Do you even need a disclaimer? Is it worth it to obtain a Library of Congress number? What should your copyright notice look like? When do you register the work with the US Copyright Office?
Still more money, more expertise from those who know, more decisions.
Sixth, the finished product. Will you publish print copies as well as an eBook? Probably. Who will convert the manuscript into an eBook? And when it comes to a print product, how can you be sure the copies won’t fall apart when the reader picks up a physical copy? It does happen. And how do you distribute print copies?
Seventh. Something is still between you and the roar of the crowds. Publicity. It’s what every good book deserves and should be initiated months before the book’s release. You may do it yourself or engage a book publicist for a few hours, days or weeks. Don’t forget to check the web and the bookstore. There is a mountain of advice about book publicity if you take the time to look.