Publishing Yourself Part 1 - the Pre-Publishing stage

So, you've written a book.


And now you want to publish it. You want to get it out there.


But you've heard the horror stories about how hard it is to get an agent, and, if you don't have an agent, no self-respecting publishing house will touch you with a barge pole.
It may seem that all avenues for you to reach your dream are closed to you.... but they are not!

The steps below may be time-consuming, but then so was writing your book. They'll get easier the more you do them, as you write more books. The first is always the hardest or so it seems. Its just because you are learning.  I'm learning too.


My critical 'To Do' list before I publish:
1. Proofread: Leave a few days or even a week between the time you write 'The End', and the time you start to read what you've written end to end. If you can get an objective friend with a keen eye to read through a printed version and mark all errors - grammar and spellling - all the better.


2. Corrections: Fix all errors. Yes, its painstaking but worth it. If the errors are marked in pencil and then once you've corrected them , you mark them with a red pen, you'll easily be able to see what you've corrected and what still needs to be done.


3. Front pages:  Have a look at the link to see which ones I mean. These are the copyright page, any dedications, any acknowledgements. All traditionally published books (agent, advance, publishing house type) include these elements. You've worked just as hard at yours so why not. I think it gives your work a professional finish.


4. Synopsis: This is the description of your book that people read when they are considering whether to buy it or not. Its your pitch - make it good! I like to keep mine between 100 and 200 words. It needs to tempt the reader and create the desire to buy. You don't want a spoiler which gives away anything critical about the story. Keep 'em guessing.


5. Short Bio: Yes, you have to say something about yourself. If you are going to market your books, you are going to be a brand, make no mistake. Keep it short, you can always add to it. Basically, you want to tell people what part of the world you are from, have you won any writing awards, what you enjoy doing when you're not writing, etc. Read some of the author bio's on Amazon; you can access them from the book page.

6. Book Cover: This was the only thing I could not do myself! I'm not a graphic artist, and lost patience with trying to learn a graphics software program, so I paid a small fee for someone to design and layout the cover for me. I came up with the idea of what I wanted it to look like, and the colours, and they put it all together. 
NB: Depending on the format you are going for, the cover will differ. If your book is going to be viewed on an e-reader, then a simple jpeg of the front cover will suffice. If you are going for a paperback edition, then you will need the front cover, spine, and back cover. 
If you have the skill to do it yourself, then why not! If you don't, do yourself a favour and get it done properly, it will only add value to your book and present it professionally.  


Once you have all this in place, you are ready to publish your book. 


I have now published in multiple formats on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), Smashwords, and Amazon Createspace (Print on Demand). 


In Part 2 of Publishing Yourself, I'll take you through these steps.