Firstly,I didn't find one site that told me all the 'how to' in one place. Granted there may be such a site but I didn't find it.
Secondly, I couldn't find anyone who could simplify the process for me, unless I paid for it.
There are so many different types of books which people want to publish that the sites have to cover every single option. I had to wade through all of this to find that the process is actually not as difficult and complicated as I first thought. In my ignorance, I knuckled down and read copious amounts of information to understand what options there were and what would work best for me.
Once you understand, it will appear much easier, but to get up to speed, you need to do one of two things:
- Read a huge amount of information yourself
- Pay someone else to do it for you.
In Part 1, I looked at how ready your material needs to be before you start the publishing process. So, you've proofread and edited, and proofread and edited and ... I could go on. At some stage there needs to be a final cut-off otherwise, its a process that can easily be used as a procrastination tool. Publishing yourself is like laying your soul bare to the world - not an easy process - and sometimes the prospect is so daunting, we want everything to be perfect. Perfection doesn't exist, only excellence - so do your utmost and know its the best you can achieve, and then let it go.
Do you know what the various formats are?
Let's have a look at the different formats:
1. The Amazon e-reader - Kindle
2. Other e-readers, e.g. Nook, Kobo, Sony, Bebook, iRiver and others.
3. PDF, HTML, Java, .Mobi, PDB, LRF, ePub.
4. Paperback
You can make your book available in all of these formats at no cost to yourself.
Points to consider before choosing your format:
1. Who is my book aimed at? Decide who are the most likely readers of your book. Is it very niche or will it appeal more to a mass market?
2. How would my audience prefer to read a book? Once you know who your readers will be, you can narrow down the best format for that audience. A YA (young adult) book will do very well on an e-reader as most young people are tech-savvy and prefer electronic devices over anything else.If your book discusses fishing off the coast of Cornwall, your audience may prefer a paperback instead of an e-reader.
3. How will I distribute my book? Unless you are prepared to spend a tidy sum on printing your own books, and negotiating what is likely to be a less than sweet deal (for you anyway) with the local book store, you are not going to see your book gracing their shelves any time soon. Thankfully, there are so many other distribution outlets for the self-publisher.
4. Where will it be available to purchase? Besides the bricks and mortars stores, there is a veritable mine of online avenues for you to pursue. Amazon, Smashwords, Createspace, online book stores, online book clubs, your own website/blog. Just these areas alone can ramp up serious sales for you.
5. How do I market it? Aaaah, the million dollar question and probably the hardest/most time-consuming part of self-publishing - you do! Adverts, reviews, blog tours, social media platforms, online book clubs - unless you are paying someone to do this for you, it is all up to you.
It might seem like an enormous mountain to climb when you are standing at the base never having scaled a rock-face before. And possibly this is the wrong analogy because I wouldn't want anyone to think climbing a mountain is easy! But publishing your own book is not as difficult as it seems. A little bit of research, some well-spent time, a smidgeon of preparation, and you've done it. There are some nifty solutions out there for the indie author, and we'll go through them together.
Next post - all about Kindle!
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