Writing a book can be a fun, but often daunting task. And, eventually, you’ll need to publish it. What then? Many first time authors plan on publishing a book but realize too late that they may be in over their heads when it comes time to actually publish it. Once they start the process, many questions come up and the steps required to do it the right way can be overwhelming or even confusing.
As a publishing consultant, it’s my job to guide authors through the process and ensure that they’re well-informed so they can make sound decisions. Below, I’ll cover the things you’ll ideally have in place before you begin the publishing process, so that everything goes smoothly and your finished book will have its best chance of success. Whether you plan on producing simple eBooks on KDP or you have bigger goals, it pays to be as prepared as possible.
Most of this can be done before you ever finish writing your book, actually. Because the better prepared you are before you start the publishing process, the better experience you’ll have.
If You Plan on Publishing a Book, Being Ahead of the Game Makes a Big Difference
As I mentioned, whether you just want to put out eBooks, or dream of seeing your work in print so you can hold it in your hands, having all this in order will set you up for success. Why? Because this work is the foundation of your book marketing strategy. This will also help save time and energy when your pub date rolls around because you won’t be scrambling to get things in order at the last minute. This can also prevent delays if you plan on publishing a book by a specific deadline.
First, Determine Your Publishing Goals
Many aspiring authors plan on publishing a book but don’t know where to begin. This is why knowing your publishing goals is so important. If you don’t know where you are going, it’s hard to create a roadmap. Once you know your publishing goals, you can decide which approach to publishing is best for you.
Deciding what your goals for publishing are is important because your goals will help determine your strategy and give you an idea of the budget you will need. When I speak of budget, I mean your financial and emotional budget. This includes your time and energy.
Ask Yourself Why You Plan on Publishing a Book
Do you want to produce eBooks with the intention of publishing often, on a large scale? This strategy works well for How-To books, and genres like YA, Fantasy and Romance.
Maybe you’re planning on publishing a book that is just meant for family and friends, or to preserve memories in print? If that’s the case, you can skip most of this, of course.
Some people’s goal with publishing is to establish their authority in an industry and build their careers. Is that you?
As you can imagine, these will all require different levels of work, and therefore different marketing budgets, and energy output. This is why it’s important to know your publishing goals in advance. Because determining your publishing goals will help you know what to expect and make a plan.
Does Your Book Have an Audience? Is it Marketable?
If you plan on publishing a book and hope to sell it, who will buy it? Determining who your audience is will help you( and publishers) gauge the marketability of your book.
Knowing who your audience is allows you to do the research needed to market your book to them. Keep in mind that a broad and general audience is much harder to market to than a smaller, niche audience. Many authors believe their book could be for everybody, or they think their audience will naturally find their book. But this is really never the case.
So, to help determine your book’s marketability you’ll need to be sure there is an audience for it first, and who that audience is. Then, ask yourself some questions.
- Why will they buy your book?
- Where will they most likely buy your book: bookstore, website, Amazon, speaking events, etc.
- Where is your audience expecting to discover your book? What are the spaces your audience lives in?
Answering these questions will allow you to form a plan to reach your audience and to give them what they expect.
As far as marketability, you can read more on determining your book’s marketability here.
Take Action by Creating a Marketing Plan
Once you know your publishing goals and have determined who your audience is, you will use this information to develop a branding strategy and marketing plan. And yes, even if your goal is publishing via a traditional route, you will still need a branding strategy and marketing plan. Because these days even the big, traditional publishers often expect you to do some, if not most of, the marketing work. This is why having an existing platform matters too!
If you plan on publishing a book, and dream of it being successful, you need a marketing plan. And the basis of a solid marketing plan is a strong author brand and an author platform. These days, you’re selling yourself as much as you are selling your book. So plan on:
- Starting the work of developing your author brand
- Finding and growing your author platform, and using it strategically to establish your authority
- Researching your audience and speaking directly to them
Knowing your goals, understanding your audience, and doing the work to create a marketing strategy, with a solid brand and platform as its basis, will all serve you when it comes time to publish your book. These are the foundational pillars of publishing success!
You can read more about your author platform and brand here. Want to know how you can use your platform strategically to establish your authority? Read my post on the topic.
If You Plan on Publishing a Book, Ensuring its Up to Professional Standards from the Start Means You’ll Avoid Any Last Minute Issues
So, you’ve determined your book is marketable and you’ve researched your audience and developed a marketing plan founded on a strong author brand? Maybe you’ve also been working to build your platform strategically and you’re feeling good about where you’re at? But what about your book?
If your book isn’t up to professional publishing standards you could still run into a lot of setbacks. You could also still end up with a book that fails because it’s low quality and appears amateur to your audience, and book buyers and sellers.
Don’t let this happen!
You’ll need to make sure your book not only looks professional, but that you’ve followed all publishing conventions and standards. You’ll also need to ensure your book has gone through the necessary editing processes. Allow yourself plenty of time to do all this. Some of these processes can take up to a year, so if you have a publishing deadline in mind, plan accordingly!
Even small mistakes like imprecise metadata can tank potential book sales and lead to time consuming corrections on your part.
If you plan on publishing a book, first make sure it’s up to professional standards by:
- Having a professional quality cover that fits all conventions and standards.
- Putting your manuscript through a rigorous editing process and making use of beta readers.
- Ensuring formatting, trim size and other professional conventions are in order.
- Checking that publishing details such as metadata, categories, and book descriptions are top-notch.
As Far as Publishing Options Go (Actually Printing and Distributing Your Book), There are Many!
Luckily, there are several modes of publishing and several routes you can take if you plan on publishing a book!
1. There are print on demand publishing options, such as KDP and Ingram Spark. This means they will print your books from digital files and distribute them as they’re ordered. In other words, nothing is printed or paid for until someone wants to buy a copy of your book.
2. You can also go your own way and contract the printing in bulk(you pay for copies up front) and make your own distribution plan. This takes a lot of effort, but can be a good option for certain authors.
3. Another option, if you plan on publishing a book, is hybrid publishing. With this style of publishing the work of printing and distribution will be done for you, under an imprint. Under this model, you are still paying to publish. But keep in mind, those costs should be disclosed and the process transparent.
You can read my blog on what to look for in a hybrid publisher to determine if they are legitimate here.
4. Then, of course, there is the traditional route. If paying out of pocket to publish your book is not in your plans, you will need to try to get picked up by a traditional publishing house. Traditional publishing can include anything from small presses and imprints to larger publishing companies. This will require you convincing them that your book is worth publishing and there are various scales of compensation for you as the author.
Ultimately, it depends on your goals and your abilities. But if you’re planning on self-publishing, you can read more about what to expect here.
Publishing a Book is a Journey. It Takes Time!
Is this all starting to feel a bit overwhelming? Are you starting to rethink your plan of publishing a book? Well, not to worry! This is why we plan in advance and give ourselves the time needed to do it right. Being prepared means you’ll have less stress, surprises or setbacks. It also means that when you finally do publish, everything will be in place to give your book its best chance at success.
Just give yourself enough time, and stick to the plan. Take one step at a time, and you’ll get there.
But keep in mind, self-publishing is a misnomer. You’ll need help and that’s to be expected. So, don’t hesitate to seek publishing assistance wherever you may need it.
Remember, this is supposed to be a sustainable, and even joyful, process.
You’ve got this!
Have questions about anything discussed in this post that’s not included in the links? Search my blog or head over to Monkey C Media’s blog for answers!
