Publishing Assistance: What to Look for and What to Avoid

If you’re considering writing a book, at some point you’ll want to publish it. This may seem obvious, but this part of the process is often overlooked in the planning stages. So, where do you begin?  First, it should be pointed out that self-publishing a book doesn’t mean you’ll be doing it alone. You will need help. Luckily, there’s a lot of publishing assistance available out there, and some of it is absolutely essential, but not all of it is helpful.

So, What Exactly is Publishing Assistance? 

When I say publishing assistance, I mean everything from who will design your cover to who will help with your marketing— and it’s extremely likely you will need help with much of this.

As a publishing consultant the most common things I’ve noticed new authors need help with are listed below. This will give you an idea of the scope of your publishing project as well. 

Common things new self-published authors (or author-publishers) need help with are:

• Book cover and interior design 
• Book packaging—trim size, paper type, formatting
• Positioning—comparable titles, genre, BiSAC, price
• Publishing details—Imprint, ISBNs, copyright, printing/distribution, LOC, metadata
• Author branding 
• Marketing plan

You Get to Decide How Much Help You Need During the Publishing Process

You won’t necessarily need help with all of this. It will depend on the kind of time you have available and your overall comfort with navigating a sometimes complicated process. You also might not get all of your publishing assistance from one source. Although authors often like to have as many resources as possible available in one place to keep things running smoothly.

The publishing assistance you decide on will come down to a few factors. First, you’ll need to consider your budget. Your budget consists of not only money, but the time and energy you have to put into your publishing project. 

Because self-publishing a book can range in price from $250 for a DIY upload to KDP and design help from freelancers available on sites like Fiverr to $100,000 for a book shepard, pro designers and publicists, there is a way to self-publish with any budget. But if you want a professional and polished looking book that has its best chance at reaching your audience you’ll likely spend quite a bit more than $250 and put in more effort than just uploading it to Kindle. 

Because there is so much and such varying publishing assistance available out there, and you will likely spend a good amount of money publishing your book, you want to make sure your money is well spent. Yes, your budget will be a factor and you may have to assess what you can do on your own or on the cheap, and what you can pay more for in order to make it work. 

Remember, your self-publishing costs can vary, depending on your needs, goals and budget.

• DIY and freelance help can cost as little as $250 
• A book shepard, design pros, and publicists can cost up to $100K

But there are some other things you should be looking out for when deciding on the team you’ll be paying to assist you in the publishing process.

The Publishing Assistance You Choose Involves More than the Cost

This may seem like an obvious one, but personality is important.  Ask yourself if you like this person. Are your values and business sensibilities aligned? Remember, your publishing assistance team is like your dula— they help birth your book baby, so make sure you are on the same page and communicate well.

Then there’s competence. There are certain things that should clearly identify that they know what they are doing and are starting you out on the right path and providing proof of value. 

Determining What Help to Choose Starts with the Right Questions

When seeking publishing assistance, first do your research. Then, ask the right questions. Below are some examples you can ask during your first meeting, as well as the questions they should be asking YOU.

Questions they should ask you: 

1. What are your goals for the book?
2. Who is your audience? Ideal reader?
3. Where will people buy the book? Back of room, just family and friends (legacy)?
4. Will you write more books?
5. Where do you see your writing career in three years?

Questions you should ask them when seeking publishing assistance:

1. What experience do they have?
2. Books they have worked on; client list; references 
3. Price range (package or built-in); hidden fees?
4. Is editing included?
5. Do they read your manuscript?
6. Have they worked with your genre before? 
7. Timeline?
8. Do they help with a marketing plan?
9. Do they execute the marketing plan?

These questions help determine if they know their stuff, it also will set expectations for your publishing process. 

A Note on Choosing a Publicist 

If you’re looking for a publicist(which is usually separate from the rest of the publishing process) there are some specific things you should look for as well. 

Not only will you want to determine if you like them and see if your values and sensibilities align, you’ll need to know a few other things that are important when considering a publicist. 

Make sure your publicist has the connections YOU need. Check that they know your audience and genre. Also see what kind of outlets and people and/or influencers they have access to, who they normally work with(appropriate level of clout), and their track record (see proof of value).

Some Red Flags to Avoid When Seeking Publishing Assistance

Obviously, you’ll want to avoid the type of publishing assistance that will be a waste of your time and money. Not only should you look for all of the above, you should look out for red flags as well. Remember, it’s your hard earned money and your book deserves the best chance at success, so cutting corners is not the way to go when deciding which publishing assistance to choose.  

1-Lofty Promises (When Something Seems too Good to Be True, It Usually Is)

Many red flags aren’t blatant. They can come in the form of promises and guarantees that can be very tempting to chase. But promises don’t always translate to results. Some of these are even scams. 

• They say they can get you a movie deal; they know people in Hollywood.
• You will make your money back in a given time ( I would never work with someone who has to make their money back in a given time. There are no guarantees).
• It sounds too good to be true, or you get a bad feeling.

The truth is, publishing is one of the toughests businesses to make money. One percent of authors make 99% of the money. Also, it’s easy to spend money but hard to make it. So, you need a long-tail plan for building your author brand and finding a loyal fanbase.

Remember too, that selling one book is almost impossible. There’s a reason it’s said that your third book sells your first book! Nothing is impossible though. The key is to give your book the best chance possible and to have a sustainable, joyful, long-term plan (meaning 3 years, not 3 months).

2-Lack of Transparency(The Process Should Not Be a Mystery)

If you find that they can’t answer the questions I mentioned above, or that they’re vague about a timeline or their processes, it can mean trouble. The point of having publishing assistance is to work WITH you. If you’re asking questions and they don’t have answers or there are a lot of excuses being made instead of explanations when something doesn’t go as planned, it can erode your trust. 

3- Publishing Assistance with Too Short of a Timeline

Publishing takes time. That’s just a fact.  Depending on the state of your manuscript and your goals, it can take up to a year for publication. This is why I plan that much time. It’s a realistic goal. If any key players in your publishing assistance team are rushing things, or promising they can take you from manuscript to published author in a matter of weeks or months, this is a red flag!

Here’s a basic outline of the publishing timeline so you can see why it takes this long:

All of this is generally happening simultaneously and some aspects take more time than others. But for instance, if you expect to publish in 6 months—even if your book has already been professionally edited—that’s barely enough time for your prelaunch. Your book will likely not be formatted and printed either. 

If someone is claiming they can have your book ready and published in months, they’re likely cutting a lot of corners. Remember, good things take time. 

Curious about all the details of your self-publishing timeline? You can read my blog on the topic here. 

Knowing What to Look for and What to Avoid with Publishing Assistance is the Key to a Successful Outcome

In general, when you’re looking for publishing assistance these are the things you should look for and some that you should avoid. Besides the above advice, I highly recommend checking Ally’s list of preferred partners and recommendations. They’re an organization specifically for self-published authors and they act as industry watchdogs. So when in doubt, you can refer to this trusted list. 

And remember, if something doesn’t feel right, take time if you need to. Reflect. Check those watchdog lists. Do your research. Because your book deserves the best and so do you!