How To Get Your Novel Published: Self Publishing
By Sravani Hotha
If you don’t want to publish your novel the traditional way through a major (or small) publisher, you can self publish your book.
Many writers choose to self publish because they can maintain creative control over their book, they can publish faster, and they might see more earnings from their book.
Since most of the costs of publication are assumed by the author, it’s good to research how much self-publishing currently costs and budget accordingly.
Stage 1: Write Your Novel
The first stage of self publishing your novel is the same as traditional publishing. Write your book, get feedback, and revise.
Even though self and hybrid publishing allow for a faster publishing timeline, make sure you take the time to revise your novel. You want to be putting your best work out there. Joining a writing community either locally or virtually will help you find good beta readers and critique partners.
Stage 2: Edit Your Manuscript
When you are self publishing, you are responsible for hiring editors to bring your book to it’s best version. In traditional publishing, your literary agent or your publishing company will hire the editors.
There are various types of editors that you should consider. Before you start the editing stage, research how much each editor will cost. Many editors working on self-published books are freelancers and it’s important that they are paid fairly and promptly.
Developmental editors review the book for larger structural concerns like plot and character development. Hire them earlier in the process. In some cases, your critique partners or beta readers serve the same function as your development editor.
Sensitivity readers will read your work through their specific cultural lens. They look for stereotypes, bias, and accuracy of representation. They are particularly helpful when authors are writing about a culture or subculture that is not their own.
Copy editors read line by line for grammar, spelling, and word choice. This step happens once the manuscript is complete, but can also happen chapter by chapter depending on the payment structure that you and the editor agree on.
Proofreaders are the last line of defense for your manuscript’s editing stage. They comb through the manuscript from start to finish looking for any remaining typos.
Stage 3: Design Your Book
Design a book cover and the inside of the book. Or hire someone to design it.
The outside design is the front and back cover, the spine, and the dust jacket for hardcover books. It can include:
The title
The author’s name
Imagery
A blurb or description about your book
Book reviews
An author bio
The ISBN and barcode
The inside design of your book can include:
The font of the text including chapter titles
Other typography and design elements like font size, spacing, kerning, margins etc
Illustrations or other images
Book reviews
The title, images, words, typography, and design should make the best first impression of your book. This will also help you with your marketing plan.
Stage 4: Prepare the Metadata
A book’s metadata is the information that describes the book. The most important of these are: the book title, book description, ISBN, and BISAC codes.
You may already have a working title in mind. Run that by your beta readers or the editors. It’s part of the first impression you make along with the design of the book. Make sure the title fits your book and stands out in a crowd.
The description of the book is essentially the paragraph that goes on the back cover or the dust jacket. It tells the reader what the book is about and entices them to pick up the book and keep reading.
The ISBN is a product number for your book and registers you as the book’s publisher and gives you full publication rights.
The BISAC codes help you define your genre and categories. Booksellers use this information to shelve your book in the appropriate place and help readers find it.
Stage 5: Publish and Distribute Your Book
There are multiple options for publishing and distributing your book once it’s ready for the world. You can use distributors, aggregators, or print-on-demand (POD) services.
If you only want to publish an ebook, you have two options:
Upload your book directly to a distributor (an online retailer). Most distributors offer 70% of royalties but some details of their terms vary.
Use an aggregator service that will upload your book to multiple retailers. For their service, they will charge you a flat rate or take a cut of your royalties.
If you want your book to have a print book option, you can go through a print-on-demand service that will print your book once it has been ordered by a reader and ships it directly to them. The POD service will charge you a distribution fee and you keep any profits that remain after the cost of printing.
Stage 6: Marketing Your Book
Having a book launch and publicity plan will help you drive interest in your book as you approach your publication date.
Digital marketing tactics include a professional author website, an active social media presence, a newsletter, and reviews from readers and book bloggers on online platforms. You don’t have to spend too much time on your social media presence if you don’t want to, but keeping it active and current on a schedule that works for you will keep your book(s) active in readers’ minds.
You can also use in-person events at local bookstores or literary events like readings, book signings, and panels at conferences to promote your book.
Some indie authors will distribute Advanced Readers’ Copies (ARCs) prior to their book launch to generate reviews from book bloggers or reviewers.
You can market your book a number of different ways, but make sure you start advertising weeks or months before your launch date. It’s best to have a combination of digital marketing and in person events.
