The information below is from when I last self-published a book in 2015. Some resources and links may be outdated but I’ve decided to keep this information here in hopes that it will help you on your self-publishing journey. Thanks for stopping by!

Since self-publishing in March 2011 many exciting things have happened to me. If you take the time to learn your craft and put in a lot of hard work, I believe exciting things can happen for you too. After writing a great book and then self-publishing and releasing your story for the world to enjoy, I recommend spending the majority of your time writing your next book. It's by far the best promotion you can do.

There are many resources available to you. Just do a quick Internet search on “self-publishing” to see what I mean. If you're new to self-publishing, you have a lot of reading to do.


For the first three months of my journey, I was learning everything I could. I spent hours reading blogs and soaking in all the information I could find. I suggest you do the same.

Once you have published your book, you’ll have many decisions to make. Use your instincts. Whether you’re trying to decide where or when to advertise or what to price your book, the ultimate decision is yours. Nobody knows your product like you do. If ten people tell you not to go FREE, you should try it for yourself before you decide. You’ll never know if something will work until you experiment and try it yourself. There is no one-step process to self-publishing. I know plenty of successful Indie authors who have never spent a dime on advertising, or who never priced their book for $.99, or free for that matter. Every writer will have his or her own journey.

When it comes to self-publishing, what do you have to lose? Maybe you won't sell hundreds or even a dozen books right away. There are no guarantees in this business. You need to be patient. If you're passionate about writing, write another book while you let readers discover your first book. Nobody is going to believe in your stories more than YOU.

Becoming an independent author has been a life-changing experience for me. After writing for twenty years, I was able to find an audience for my books. If you want to succeed, you must work hard. Never stop learning and growing. Self-publishing should never be thought of as a get-rich quick scheme. It’s a platform that allows me and you to put our work out there and hopefully find an audience. Again, there are no guarantees.

The industry is changing fast, but the following steps should help you get started.

  1. Write a great book.

  2. Find Beta Readers. Beta readers consist of anyone who is willing to read your book and let you know if your story is working. They can give you feedback on character development or continuity. I have family and friends who are willing to read my book and everyone tends to find something to fix, even if it’s a missing word or two. Belinda Pollard - What Makes a Good Beta Reader?

  3. Hire an editor. This could be a developmental editor, line editor and/or proofreader. See the list of editors and proofreaders at the bottom of this page. Send him or her an email and get a quote to find out when you can get your book scheduled.

  4. Hire a cover artist. See the list at the bottom of this page. There are many cover designers out there. This list is just to help you get started.

  5. Hire a formatter. See list at the bottom of this page. You will send the formatter a word document and they will format your novella, short story, or novel for Smashwords, Amazon KDP, Nook, Kobo, iTunes and Sony, depending on what you ask for.

  6. Register at AMAZON (KDP) by going to KDP.AMAZON.COM and upload the prc file that your formatter sends you. KDP = Kindle Direct Publishing

  7. Register at NOOKPRESS.COM (Barnes & Noble) to upload the epub file that your formatter sends you.

  8. Register at SMASHWORDS.COM and upload the word doc file that your formatter sends you.

  9. Register at KOBOWRITINGLIFE.COM and upload the ePub file that your formatter sends you.

  10. To upload directly to iTunes you must have a MAC. You will need an Apple ID and then you will need to sign up at iTunes Connect. If you do not own a MAC, you can hire Author E.M.S. to upload your file for you. 

  11. Once you have published, you can copyright your book for a fee of $35 at the U.S. Copyright Office.

  12. You can buy ISBN’s from Bowker (Identifier Services). I let Barnes and Noble and Amazon assign my book an ASIN #. When I use CreateSpace for my print on demand books, I use their FREE ISBN.

  13. If you want a print book, it's free if you do it yourself. Register at CreateSpace.com. Use CreateSpace to help you with book covers, formatting, and editing for a fee, or you can go to the site, register for free, download a FREE template and then copy and paste your manuscript into the template one chapter at a time. CreateSpace will provide you with a FREE ISBN number.

  14. Start a newsletter. Subscribe to a few newsletters to find out which newsletter service you prefer. A newsletter is something I did not do right away, but I wish I had. A newsletter is one of the best ways to reach readers and let your fans know when your next book is available. Get started as soon as possible. Sign up for mine here.

  15. SOCIAL MEDIA. Start a Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest Account.

  16. Make a FREE website using Blogger or WordPress. Talk about whatever makes you happy.

  17. Once I began making money, I used Pixel of Ink, The Frugal eReaders, and Eye on Romance and Just Romantic Suspense to advertise. Now I also use Bookbub and Booksends. 

That’s it. Those are the basic steps
I took to self-publish.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF HELPFUL TIPS TO BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET, BUT HERE ARE FEW OF MY FAVORITES:

 

Editors, Proofreaders, Copy Editors
Don't forget to schedule in advance.

The Write Touch
Trish Milburn Editing Services
iProofread and More - affordable proofreading and editing - Alicia Street
Freelance Editor, Pat Thomas
Victory Editing
JM Madden offers a list of editors for indie authors
Self-Editing
Alan Rinzler: Consulting Editor

 

Formatters
Don't forget to schedule in advance.

Wild Seas Formatting 
Ironhorse Formatting 
Formatting4U - Judi Fennell
 

Cover Artists
Don't forget to schedule in advance.

The Melted Dashboard
Damonza.com
The Book Designers
Will Staehle - Unusual Co.
Wicked Smart Designs

Once your book has been released it's time to celebrate! It’s also time to think about what you can do to get exposure and promote you and your book. Don’t forget to put aside time every day to write your next book.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Take a deep breath and do one thing at a time. Nobody can do it all at once. One of the first things I decided right from the start was to stay positive. This is not a competition or a race. There are so many writers willing to help by sharing information and real data. Nothing is going to sell your book better than word of mouth. That’s why your product, your book, needs to be the absolute best it can be.

 Believe in yourself. You can do it!

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