This is what you need before you start posting:
• A description of the book. . Smashwords requires a long and short description, so have them both ready. (I usually combine short and long descriptions in my Amazon post.)
• A list of seven keywords . I recommend consulting Google to find common keyword searches for the type of book you are using. For example, “science fiction” is quite broad and will probably put you on page 1,000,000,000 or less. However, “alien invasion colonization” will narrow that down and put you higher on a search list, and yes, people do do it that way. You would be amazed at the keywords they use.
• A book cover . If you are blessed to be smarter with the graphic arts than I am, then you can buy iStock or Shutterstock images for this. MorgueFile has free images available, but I would recommend asking the photographer for permission to use their photo for a book cover, out of courtesy (I have done this a couple of times and are generally flattered to allow it if you send them a free copy of the book) . If you are like me and your ability is limited, you can hire it. See Smashwords for a list of reasonably priced graphic artists who can help.
Once your novel is complete get a copy of the Smashwords style guide , by Smashwords founder Mark Coker. Go to Smashwords to create a free account to download the ebook. I recommend that you follow its formatting steps carefully, as it is essential to go through its “meat grinder” process for inclusion in your Premium Catalog. This is an intensive evaluation process to ensure that your book will appear correctly in ereaders and ereader applications, and the guidelines are strict. Don’t be discouraged if you get rejected a few times and have to reformat; sometimes it takes me several reformats and downloads through the process to be approved for the Premium catalog. Inclusion in that catalog distributes your book to almost everyone but Amazon. There is a different process for posting to Amazon, but it is easy. I recommend posting through Smashwords first, because if you go through their process and are accepted for the premium catalog, you can be sure it will appear on Amazon with no problems. Set up a Smashwords account to post and go to “Control Panel” to start the posting process.
The process for publishing through Amazon it is easier. I recommend reading Make a kill on Kindle 2018 Edition: without blogging, Facebook, or building a platform , by Michael Alvear. It offers tips on categories and keywords to enter during publishing so that your book is “seen” by more people who search for it. To post, start by going to Kindle Direct. If you have an Amazon account, you can use your Amazon login to login. From here, they guide you through the process. It may take up to 72 hours for your book to be published, but my experience has been that it will be for sale on Amazon in 24-36 hours.
The best news is that posting this way is free.
Here are some more notes on self-publishing to make the process easier:
• I suggest that your manuscript be professionally reviewed by someone who does not know him personally. Of course, if you know someone who you think is willing to give you an objective read, then do so. If not, you can check Goodreads for beta groups and proofreaders that could point you in the right direction of a proofreader for your genre. Be careful, this process can be a little expensive, but once you check in with someone, they will usually lock you in at a lower fee.
• A price between $ 0.99 and $ 2.99 is standard for e-books, and generally generates the most sales. $ 2.99 allows you 70% royalty, however I found that my book sales increased when I dropped the price to $ 1.99 for my complete novels. I generally value long stories or novels at $ 0.99.
• You cannot enter your book in KDP Select if you also publish through Smashwords. The KDP Select program is only for books that are published through Amazon and nowhere else. It is up to you if you choose to post only through Amazon. While most of my sales are there, I also get a fair amount of sales through Apple’s iBooks store, and sometimes through Barnes & Noble, so I don’t want to drive those crowds away.
• If you post to Amazon, you will also need to set up an Amazon author page. Again, you can use your regular Amazon login, and they pretty much walk you through the process. You will have to go to this site to claim your book once it is published, that is not automatic.
• If you are on Goodreads, you will also have to claim your book there. I recommend claiming it on your Amazon author page and Goodreads at the same time, so that you have the entire Amazon ASIN number to enter Goodreads so they can link to it.
• If you don’t have a PayPal account for book royalties, set one up before posting. Both Amazon and Smashwords can transmit your royalty payments quickly and easily through PayPal. Make sure you get the app for your phone so you can process those payments quickly and easily (I use a personal account).
• I also recommend converting your manuscript to PDF so that you can download it for copyright and send it as a proof copy to reviewers. Do an online search for “Free PDF Converters”. Most of them will allow you to convert some documents a day for free.
• If you want to formally request a copyright for your book, you can do so at https://eco.copyright.gov. It costs $ 35, and you must first publish the book. Make sure you have a credit card handy and be prepared to download a PDF of your manuscript. Don’t be surprised if it takes 6 months or more to get it, they are slow.
On a final note, I have no experience in self-publishing a paperback. I haven’t sold a paperback book since 2012, and I’m realistic enough to know that the handful of people who asked me about it wouldn’t buy the book anyway if it were available in paperback, because they’re the guys looking for a useful excuse. . But I am also a tree hugger, so I love e-books and I love publishing only in that format.
That’s your quick guide to desktop publishing. Once published, you’re ready to go from writing and publishing to promoting a published work.
Self-publishing is great and gives you a lot of freedom to post special offers on your books to increase sales, but 100% control also means 100% responsibility. It is up to YOU to get this book out into the world. But after being published through a vanity press and epublishers, I can tell you from experience that promotion would be entirely your responsibility anyway. They don’t do that for you. They simply deliver the book to the world and take their share when it is sold.
When it comes to promotion, your best bet is to search the web for ebook promotion in the genre you wrote. Social networks (Twitter and Facebook) also have many promotional posts for these things. Sorry, I can’t be more exact about offering specific places to search, but reaching readers is really a needle in a haystack, as many things come and go. I often share things I find on social media, but here is what you need to know when doing your own search:
• Beware of scams. There are many places that will be happy to take your money for the promotion, but will not deliver anything in the way of sales. Use a lot of discernment to decide if the promotion you are considering will really reach your target audience.
• The sale of books has given me the best results. You can easily change the price when it self-publishes. Consider running sales from time to time. For example, I often put one of my $ 1.99 for $ 0.99 novels up for sale over three days (usually Tuesday through Thursday). Make sure to promote it on social media (Twitter gets the best results for me, but maybe your Facebook friends pay more attention to posts than mine).
• Book reviews have been another good sales boost. Unfortunately, reviewers can be picky, and many of the best ones charge a fee for reviewing it. For example, I am a reviewer in Reader & # 39; s Favorite. You can request a free review, but you’re more likely to get it if you pay $ 59 for an express review. But if you get a five-star review, you get a special stamp you can use and permission to use a review review on Amazon.
• November and December are a great time for vacation announcements. Proofreading services may offer special offers to list your book in an “advertising blitz” along with others. You may be asked to provide a prize for a raffle or giveaway. I generally offer a free copy of the book I’m advertising. Some may ask you to participate in discussions or social media events on certain days. You can do this from home, but make sure your hours allow you to be available online for a few hours. Make sure you understand what they are asking. I am finding that more and more they are not allowing you to passively pay the fee and advertise; they usually want me to do something interactive with online participants.
• If you don’t have a profile on Goodreads, get one. This is an exclusive social networking site for books, and the best place to reach readers and other writers. Set up both a reader and author profile, link your books to the author panel, and participate in groups of your genre. This is a great place to find readers, reviewers, beta and reviewers, tips on reading and writing etc. In addition, you can also get advertising and promotional tips. This is where I find a lot of my promotional information!
• Don’t waste your time and money on book awards, unless you’re a literary writer. Most of them are oriented in this direction, and nothing else really has a chance. Sure they encourage everyone to participate because they want their entry fee, but you really don’t have a chance to get a prize or even place it unless it’s those highly flatulent things you read in English class. They really don’t like plot and characterization. And they especially don’t like science fiction, even if they have a category for it.
• Consider using a social media manager like Hootsuite to schedule posts. I like Hootsuite because I can sit down and schedule up to 30 posts at a time to deliver at any time I choose, so I don’t have to be online all the time chasing it. It’s great to have them send out a promotional post while dining or exercising.
• Remember that your priority is to sell your book to people you don’t know. Very often, I see new writers become frustrated with family and friends who lose enthusiasm for writing. Be realistic – they have their own life and cannot do this for you. It’s difficult, but success means reaching readers who don’t know who will buy, like, review, and recommend your book to others they know. You have to grow that circle through these promotional efforts.
There is one more thing I would like to keep in mind: don’t expect to quit your day job. I’m amazed that people still have the vision of the writer walking around his house in his PCs. s with a cup of coffee and his laptop for a living. That’s a beautiful image that brings tears to my eyes, but the writer’s real image is typing furiously at his lunch break, or extremely early or late because it’s the only writing moment we can include later. work time, family, home and housework. True story: I never experienced that “flow” when writing the Tenth Dimension Because I literally had to force my writing time among other tasks, from start to finish. Fortunately, I saw in rewrites that it still worked, but I had to overcome many distractions and interruptions to write that novel. It is truly a labor of love, and this is not a casual interest. You have to be 100% committed to this and willing to work more for the personal satisfaction of writing and delivering a story that readers like than the monetary reward. Maybe you’re lucky to have that great break and become another Dan Brown, Stephen King, JK Rowling, or Hugh Howey, but I bet each of them could tell you stories about how to scratch over years of work for their “big break.” E-books are still fairly new, and we are on the wave of a new revolution here. Think of “roots”. It will take time, patience, love and dedication to build. Do you have enough of that to stay after everyone around you is no longer excited for you? You need!
So that’s my guide to self-publishing. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it if you love your writing and want it to remain yours, rather than giving it to others who have their own selfish interests at heart.
I will also say that this is not for everyone. If you have decided that this is not the way for you, then it is fine. I’ve also been posted via epublishers, and I can tell you that if you follow that route then you will still want to flag this for promotional tips because they won’t promote for you. I will also recommend that you refer to these three books to help you prepare your manuscript and prepare your submission materials to consult an editor:
The first five pages: a writer’s guide to staying away from the rejection pile , by Noah Lukeman. I can’t believe I found a hardcover version of this book in a discount container, because it has been extremely helpful in crafting an “exploding” story. Read this book as you write your novel to find out how to “hook” them in your shipping materials to want to read more!
The essential guide to publishing your book: how to write, sell and market it … successfully! By Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry. I credit this book for having Blurry, Anywhere But Here, and Splinter accepted by the publishers. I have read many books on publications, and this is by far the best. It takes you step-by-step through the publishing process to help you adjust your book and shipping materials to the best of your ability.
Writers Market 2018 , by Robert Lee Brewer. This is the definitive guide for publishers in the market. It offers listings for publishers of books, magazines, contests and prizes, and literary agents. If you don’t want the full guide, then they have smaller volumes for novels and short stories, poets, and literary agents available. I recommend getting the full volume if you’re just getting started, so you can get an idea of what’s out there. They release a new volume every year.
Good luck on this trip! I hope this information is useful and informative to you on your journey to becoming a published writer.
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